KARMENIA 

OR 

WHAT THE SPIRIT 
TOLD ME 

BETTER KNOWN AS 

VISIONS ON THE 
BATTLEFIELD 




ftass 3 I : ^ a 
Book-. 



10 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



Copyright Applied for April 4th. 1918. 
By LYMAN E STOWE, 131 Catherine St Detroit, Mich. 



We, the undersigned, do hereby guarantee 
that the goods listed herein were produced or 
manufactured in accordance with the Federal 
Child Labor Act of Sept. 1st, 1916. 

John Bornman and Son 



KARMEMIA 



OR 
WHAT THE SPIRIT TOLD ME 

'TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION" 

A Scries oi short Occult stories, real experiences during the life of 
a man 72 years of age, garnished in the clothes of fiction, see preface. 




BY 
LYMAN E STOWE 

131 Catherine St. Detroit Mieh, 
April 2nd.— 1915.— The 72nd. birthday. 



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THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE 

No. 1— THE VISION ON THE BATTLE- 
FIELD 

" 'Tis not enough, your counsel still be true; 
Blunt truth more mischief than nice falsehoods do; 
Men must be taught as if you taught them not, 
And tilings unknown proposed as things forgot; 
Without good breeding, truth is disapproved; 
That only makes superior sense beloved." 

— Pope. 

I, Lyman E. Stowe, was born in, the now, 
City of Flint, Genesee County, Michigan, about 
10 a. m., Sunday, April 2nd, 1843. Just six years 
after Michigan became a state. Even the log 
schoolhouse was little known, and many of my 
playmates were Indian boys. 

On my father's side I a ma descendant of John 
Stowe, the Antiquarian of England of the 16th 
century, who was granted letters patent to beg, 
in the streets of London, because of the great 
good he had done through his writings, of which 
no library of note is considered a complete library 
without some of Stow's books, at this day. 

It will thus be seen I am a descendant of the 
only patent right beggar the world ever knew. 

The name "Stowe," originally spelled Stow, the 
final (e) is quite modern, and in the U. S. the 
name Stowe is generally associated with the 
Beechers, the Lymans, the Abbots, Foot and 
Rigs, as these families married and intermarried 
and surnames and given names mingled pro- 
fusely. 



Preface 2 

My mother was a VanSlyke, and traced back 
to the throne of Holland, so if i have literary ten- 
dencies and gifts, or a penchant to live off of the 
public, I inherit it from the two extremes of the 
privileged classes, a beggar in the streets, and a 
beggar on the throne. This will excuse me for 
asking the reader to send in a small contribution 
to assist in giving to the world my wonderful ex- 
periences, while investigating the by-paths of 
occult science, and spiritual mysticism, which 
will be sent to such subscribers, as each succes- 
sive chapter comes from the press. 

I believe I am safe in saying I have had a 
broader experience in these lines than any other 
man that ever investigated the subject. 

Why I have been ostracized and kept 
from the press and the public eye will readily be 
seen by the reader of my books, "What is Com- 
ing/' and my "Bible Astrology/' as these subjects 
are not popular and that selfishness and bigotry 
that has caused the world to crawl over the 
prejudice of knaves, bigots and fools, in all ages, 
discourages and retards invention and investiga- 
tion, and makes the road of the genius and the 
philosopher a hard road to travel, until he scores 
success, and then they who hindered his progress 
are ready to bend the knee and bow the head to 
mammon and smile and smirk under the banners 
they besmeared. 

I was born in the sign Aries, the 20th degree 
of Gemini, rising — thus bringing two-thirds of 
the clairvoyant sign Cancer under the 30 degrees 
of the ascendant, with the Moon 14 degrees in 
Taurus, and Uranus on the cusp of Aries, which 



Preface 3 

gives me my strong spiritual and clairvoyant 
powers. 

Some of the stories of my experience have 
been submitted to magazines and papers, and re- 
turned to me, and I afterwards saw the stories 
somewhat changed and dressed in other language 
under the signature of other authors. I think 
many an amateur writer has had a similar experi- 
ence. 

I should have stated my father was a Uni- 
versalist, my mother ran the gamut of religious 
beliefs, and died an Agnostic; their children were 
taught to think for themselves. 

On her death bed, my mother said to me: 
''Lyman, I don't know whether there is anything 
after this life or not." 

I asked, "Mother, aren't you afraid to die with 
such doubts ?" 

She replied, "Christ, on the cross, cried, 'My 
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' If 
He could harbor doubts, I should not be blamed 
for what I can't help." 

This part of my introduction of myself will 
appear with each issue of my stories, and, dear 
reader, I am an old soldier, an old man 72 years 
of age, with no desire to deceive, just before meet- 
ing my God, but wishing to give my occult ex- 
periences to the world, and while I am not beg- 
ging, if you wish to assist me in getting this work 
before the public whatever you feel like sending 
me will be credited to you, and each issue mailed 
to you as it comes from the press. 

A kind word of encouragement from you will 
be highly appreciated, as also will adverse crit- 



Pref 4 

icisms. If you have any objections to a final pub- 
lication of your name, in my expressions of grati- 
tude please so state, and if you would like others 
to read sample copies of these stories please furn- 
ish me their addresses, and I will mail copies to 
them, free of charge. 

Address all communications to Lyman E. 
Stowe, 131 Catherine St., Detroit, Mich. 
The Following Are the Titles of Some of the 

Stories : 
No. 1 — "A Vision on the Battlefield/' 
No. 2 — "Introduction of Myself and How Kar- 
menia Saved My Life by a Dream." A testi- 
mony of former lives. 

"Karmenia Goes with Me to Sunday School" 
"I See My Father's Spirit, and Why." 
"Karmenia Causes Me to Foresee a Tragedy" 
"The Vision in the School Room." 
"My First Love. All Before 15 Years of 
' Age." 
No. 3 — My First Lesson in Evolution." 

"My Acquaintance with Mr. Hether." 
No. 4 — "Karmenia Gives me a Lesson in Natural 
History, and Proves to Me There is no Room 
for Anything but God, which Calls to Mind 
I am Sorry for Killing a Rattlesnake. Yet?" 
"Karmenia Shows Me Why a Person Can- 
not Serve God and Mammon, at One and the 
Same Time, while She Plays Pranks with 
My Heart, and Gives Me a Lesson in Patri- 
otism. I Enlist for the War." 
No. 5 — "Karmenia and My War Experience. 
The Many Phases of Occult Experiences 
are too numerous to mention here. Will be 



Preface 5 

given later. The many scenes in investiga- 
tion of the occults is wonderful. Clairvoyant 
messages and spiritual meeting's, some fakes 
and more wonders beyond doubt. A picture 
made without visible hands, under tests. I 
offered a hundred dollars to any artist who 
could tell me how it was made, or what made 
with or make one like it under the same con- 
ditions this was made. A reproduction will 
be given in the story, and the faces of people 
who were my associates 2,000 years ago 
shown me. 
Each subscriber will be given a story describ- 
ing how it was possible for Karmenia to take me 
on the longest journey ever made by man. 

We visited the Moon, the Asteroids, and the 
great central Sun Canopius, so far distant that, 
in miles, it has to be computed in light years. 
Light travels from our Sun to us, ninety-five mil- 
lions of miles, in eight minutes, or at the rate of 
180,000 miles per second, or five trillions seven 
hundred and eighty-one billions, six hundred mil- 
lions of miles per year, yet at this fearful rate, it 
takes the light of Canopius two hundred and 
ninety-six years for its light to reach us. If I 
multiply the figures above by these years to get 
the miles distant of Canopius, how many could 
enumerate it? Yet our Sun and Earth must cir- 
cle that great body every 26,000 years. All a free 
ride to you, and yet Karmenia takes me there to 
investigate and I relate the sights we saw and 
experiences of being swallowed by a bird, and 
what came of it. Afterward of being swallowed 
by a man, in a cup of water as large as a railroad 



Preface 6 

tank, and how we were born twins and remained 
five years and yet returned to earth all in a few 
hours. 

Kafmenia helped to explain the extremes of 
life from well organized insect life that requires 
thousands together before you can recognize it 
is life up to a sum a billion times greater than our 
Sun, and yet is a thinking, reasoning entity, a 
part of God, the eternal mind. 

No person can be a materialist after reading 
this book. Oh, help me to get it out! I want 
you to have the proud distinction, someday, of 
pointing to your receipt and first pages, saying, 
"I helped to get that book out." 

Address, LYMAN E. STOWE, 

131 Catherine St., Detroit, Mich. 



INDEX TO CHAPTERS OF STOWE'S GREAT 
SPIRITU \1. NOVEL 

KARMENIA 

\ romance of mdhy worlds. Every reader says it is the most 
intensely interesting book ever read. 

Mailed free on receipt of price, $2.00. 

Address Mildred K. Stovve, or the author, Lyman E. Stowe, 
131 Catherine Street, Detroit. Mich. 

Page 

Chapter T. Visions on the battlefield 1 

IT. I Introduce Myself to the Reader 2 

TTT. Karmenia Saves My Life bv a Dream 17 

IV. Karmenia Gives Me a Lesson on Philosophy.. 20 

V. Karmenia Causes Me to Astonish My Mother. . 24 

VI. Karmenia Goes to Sunday School with Me... 28 

VII. I See My Father's Spirit.. 31 

YIIL Converted at a Bovs' Prayer Meeting 37 

IX. Karmenia Causes Me to Foresee an Acci- 
dental Tragedy 41 

X. The Vision in the Schoolroom 46 

XL First Lesson in Evolution 50 

XII. Lesson in Natural History 60 

XTII. Karmenia the Spirit Often Helps Me 68 

XIV. Karmenia and My War Experience 88 

XV. Two Instances of Spirit Force 100 

XVI. An Event at the Battle of Spotsylvania 104 

XVII. A Strange Occult Experience . ..110 

XVIII. A Trio to the Asteroids 119 

XIX. Was This an Evidence of a Former Life? 

If Not. What was It? 139 

XX. Karmenia Shows Me why Love Seldom Runs 
Smooth 170 

XXII. W r orld Building, Evolution and Reincarna- 
tion 182 

XIII. Karmenia's Storv, or Did the Souls of Men 
Killed in War Come in the Wild Pigeons of 1858 

to 1870. Intenselv interesting 211 

XXIV. Karmenia Takes Me on Longest Journey 
Ever Taken by Man 217 

XXV. Karmenia Gives Me Her Real Name 247 

Allegory: The Book Cosmos. 



CHAPTER 1 



A VISION ON THE BATTLE FEILD. 

"All nature is bat art, unknown to thee: 
All chance direction, which thou canst not see;; 
All discord, harmony not understood; 
All partial evil, universal good. 
And spite of pride, in erring reason's spite. 
One truth is clear, whatever is, is right." 

— Pope. 



BOOM! Boom! Boom! CRASH! Crash! Crash! 
And 500 canon are belching forth their fire and 
smoke and iron hail; with mighty shot and shriek- 
ing shell, Tearing through timber or bursting 
over head. Accompanied by the sudden plank, 
plank, plank, and rear of musketry, fired by plat- 
oon, by regiment and by brigade, togather with 
the bursting shell and whizzing bullets, which 
seem in search of him who dares to stand up or 
is unfortunate enough to be without cover 

Here pandemonium is let loose. Behold the 
July sun is shining brightly over head, enly 
obscured here and there by the great clouds of 
sulpheric smoke of battle floating gently away 
on the morning breezes wafted up from the sea. 
On the hills in various directions one can get a 
glinrps of troops hurriedly moving from one point 
to another. 



Such were the sights and sounds at the opening 
of the great battle of Malvern Hills, on the James 
River Virginia. Fought July 1st. 1862, between 
McLellan's Federal forces numbering ninty thous- 
and strong, and Lee's Confederate forces number- 
ing sixtv thousand strone. At a loss to the Federals 
in killed and wounded of two thousand four hun 
dred and seventy five, and to the Confederates 
of four thousand four hundred. 




The Aide-de-Camp Hurrying Up Troops. 



Such a place may be a proper place for the 
opening of a romance, but it is a queer place for 
a heavenly vision to appear to a man. Yet it was 
here that such an event did occur., and it is here 
that I must introduce my subject; my self and the 
Heroine of this story, the most beautiful creature 
that was ever prsen ted to man by the Great Jehova 

First let me introduce my subject; which is the 
phenomena of life, and its mysteries as I have 
experienced and seen them in a long life of event- 
ful prayerful research for the TRUTH, and dear 
reader if you will let this capitolized word be your 
beacon light to lead you on through the mazes of 
mistery that; eclipses any thing you ever read of in 
fiction, you will never tire of the manv strange nar- 
ratives or the delightful philosophy of the wise 
Karmenia, the Heroine of this story. 
Who is KARMENIA ? 

That, dear reader I do not wish to tell you, untill 
the closing narrative of my experience when it will 
burst upon your vision, like a mighty metor from 
a clear, evening, sky. 

Suffice it to say, in the introduction of beautyfull 
Karmenia, I must attempt to describe her as best 
my poor gift of description will allow. 

Young man, you who love the brunette type of 
beauty, I will let you describe a brunette. 

"Ah. She is a brunette type of beauty, a form 
like a heab, eyes of the blackest hue, which scint- 
illate and sparkle like the rays of a sun beam 



reflected back from the rarest gern of a thousand 
facets, and she has a wealth of raven hair 
which floats in waves of midnight darknnss over 
shoulders white as snow." 

0, pshaw, young man, you have failed. Let 
the next one try. 

"Oh! It is the blonde, whose golden tresses 
of sunlit hair kissed the dimpled cheek of 
peachen hue, while rosebud lips seem moist with 
honey dew, or ready to flow with nectar fitted to 
woo the Gods." 

Oh! Stop — stop — stop! My boy, stop! 

Xo human being can describe my beautiful 
Karmenia, and even Karmenia is not her name, 
as you will find. Karmenia is the name I gave 
her, because she w 7 ould not reveal herself to me 
until the closing chapter of this book. 

Xo, I think I will not attempt to describe her, 
for I would certainly fail. But, I will try to ex- 
press my joy whenever she comes into my pres- 
ence. 

L often got glimpses of this beautiful being, in 
childhood, when I longed for a companion which 
filled my heart's desire. But, never until the day 
of this great battle could I, in the least, under- 
stand her wondrous beauty, and even then I be- 
held her as a joyous sunbeam behind a silver 
cloud and from that on I hailed her brief visits 
with that joy a prisoner for fifty years in a dun- 
geon might hail a ray of sunlight which visits 



his cell for one brief moment once a year. 

The reader will already surmise this beautiful 
Karmenia could not be an ordinary female, and 
I must answer. Oh! No, my friends, not an ordi- 
nary female by any means, but a glorious one 
from the realm of spirituality. A female of such 
knowledge and power that she is able to reveal 
all hidden things, to brush away all mysteries, 
to take me with her through the realms of divin- 
ity with speed of thought, visiting the neighbor- 
ing planets of our system, or flying away to the 
mighty suns in far distant space beyond the 
boundaries of man's imagination, while explain- 
ing to me the wonders of creation. 

I know, dear reader, you will ask why I choose 
to introduce my heart's affections at this time 
and place, while I admit of meeting her so long 
before. 

I will answer you. Because here I first dis- 
covered my real love for my beautiful one, and 
here I first beheld her wonderful powers re- 
vealing to me the mysteries of the universe. .So, 
dear reader, if you are interested, come with me 
and I will tell you of the wonders I have wit- 
nessed, and tell you how she made all things 
plain. 

From early childhood I had hungered for 
knowledge of the truth of the mysteries of life. 
I often took notice of the cruelties of nature, of 
one thing feeding upon another, from the bird 



7 

who tore the littlt worm to pieces and devoured 
it, the spider that pounces upon the fly, the big 
fish eating the little ones, and "the survival of 
the fittest" all through nature; and now, on the 
battlefield, I saw brother arrayed against broth- 
er, father against son, and son against father — 
my country rent asunder and two mighty armies 
in deadly conflict, strewing the battlefield with 
dead and dying men, mangled and suffering, and 
each side believing they were right and their 
brothers wrong, and each side claiming to be the 
followers of a meek and lowly master, Jesus 
Christ, who taught peace and not war, and each 
side were praying to God to smite their enemies 
and help them to murder their brothers. In my 
sympathy for the mangled and the dying, and in 
the anguish of my soul, I cried out to God for 
wisdom, for knowledge, that I might understand 
why a great and a merciful God would let such 
things exist and as my soul bent under the 
mighty load of sorrow, pity and ignorance, I 
heard a clear and ringing voice sounding music 
in my ear, and it said: "Behold, my son, I bring 
to you your loved companion of eternity; she is 
a fitting sweetheart for one whose soul is touched 
with pity for all of his companions, from the 
least to the greatest. Take her, my son; she is 
yours and will dwell with you so long as your 
love and pity holds the heart to unselfish kind- 
ness, and when you miss her you may know that 



selfishness has blindfolded love and pity in 
shame, seeks to "hide her nakedness with the fig 
leaves of self righteousness." 

The voice ceased speaking and I looked and 
beheld the lovely creature that I have admitted 
my inability to describe, and will let each reader 
draw the picture of my sweetheart of eternity as 
best he can. 

She stood before me all radiant in smiles, and 
loving kindness, and as my eyes had been opened, 
I recognized my own real other half, my sweet- 
heart of eternity. I heard no more the cannon's 
roar, the bursting shell, the demons' yell, but in 
amaze at her I gaze and cry: "Oh! Loved one, 
dear, thy name, thy name. I remember thee 
of untold ages past. But thy name, thy name, I 
have forgotten thy name." Yet there she stood, 
with hands extended toward me, smiling with 
kind affection, as she uttered the one word, 
"Truth." "Truth," I repeated, "Truth, what is 
Truth? That is not a name." 

Said I : "Men of all ages and of all times have 
been seeking Truth, only to be disappointed, 
never to find her. Even Christ did not know her, 
or if He did He refused to introduce her to Pilate 
when Pilate asked, 'What is Truth?' But Christ 
held his peace, and now you come and tell me 
your name is 'Truth.' How can I, a poor, weak 
mortal, know the Truth when the whole world 
has failed to find you J Oh, beautiful one, why 



9 

torture my mind? Truth is not a sweet one's 
name. I like it not." 

As I uttered the last words of the foregoing 
sentence she sadly smiled and began vanishing 
from my view, and she said: "My poor, beloved 
mortal, all men have rejected Truth as you now 
reject me. Had you never rejected Truth I would 
still be your sweetheart in heavenly bliss/' 

"Come back," I cried. "Come back and I will 
love truth for your dear sack. But as I cannot 
understand you in giving me the name 'Truth' I 
will call you Karmenia until I know your name." 

Said she, again smiling and coming nearer: 
4 '0h, my beloved mortal, long have I sought you 
while you in your blissful ignorance rejected me, 
who love you so dearly that I granted your 
every wish, though I knew it led you farther and 
farther from me, though I knew it would cause 
you to draw T nearer and nearer to me and to love 
me more and more in the end, so seek the truth 
and I will be ever near thee." 

I bent over a brooklet to bathe my heated brow 
and a Fish uttered these words. (This was Dr. 
Wilson Fish) : 

"Truth, incased in triple brass, 
Holds her riches fast and strong; 
Only love's persistence has 
Divulged the truth, exposed the wrong." 

I answered back: 



10 

"Oh, earth-born friend, thou sayest well 
The truth is incased in triple brass, 
Where to be found there's none can tell, 
Or if there is there's none that has. 

"The truth is like a ball of steel, 
Hydraulic pressed with peal on peal, 
Each searcher seeking more and more, 
Peals nearer and nearer to the core, 
And though one peal be very small, 
Each searcher thinks he has it all." 
At this moment my loved one spake and said: 
"Behold!" 

I looked into the heavens and a vision of the 
events of my life passed before me. People not 
yet born were introduced to me, by my sweet- 
heart Karmenia, and startling and wonderful 
events yet to be experienced were passed before 
me in panoramic view. Many have already taken 
place, others are yet to come, which w T ill be 
recorded as we proceed. But I must leave the 
matter here and introduce myself to the reader. 



11 



CHAPTER II. 

At Karmenia's Request, I Introduce Myself to 

the Reader — Karmenia Defines Fiction and 

Allegory, and Explains the Difference. 

"Six thousand years — my name was Seth. 

Tis said from Heaven an angel fell. 
Four thousand years and Daniel's death. 

Gave Stowe the story of Daniel to tell." 

— Stowe. 

It was a beautiful spring morning, on my fifty- 
fifth birthday. Karmenia came into my office 
and said, "Come, my beloved, I want you to write 
a brief autobiography of yourself, as I dictate it." 

I burst forth in a peal of uncontrollable laugh- 
ter and then asked: "My dear Karmenia, will you 
kindly explain the inconsistency of pretending to 
give to the public a novel, a work of fiction, and 
in the second chapter presenting an autobiogra- 
phy, supposed to be fact?" 

Karmenia smiled as she replied: "Oh, my be- 
loved mortal, have you not yet discovered the 
difference between fiction and allegory? Let me 
define it for you. 

1 'A novel,' says Webster, 'is a new thing, or 
an unusual thing,' therefore this history is a 
novel, for it is new, and it differs from other nov- 
els in this: Most novels are fiction, generally 
based upon a trace of facts, intentionally or un- 
intentionally, while your novel is fact clothed in 
the garments of fiction and trimmed in allegory. 
Webster defines allegory as a description of one 



12 



thing under the image of another — a figure of 
speech in which the principal subject is kept out 
of view and the resemblance, or secondary fig- 
ure, becomes the principal subject." 

"Very well," said I, "Karmenia, proceed, but 
authors do not generally parade their private af- 
fairs before the public, unless in an autobiogra- 
phy, and I suppose many would call it bad taste 
to write of onesself as the hero of a romance." 

"Yes," said Karmenia, "but our work presents 
to the public a large number of truthful narra- 
tives, supported by testimony; it is essential that 
you give a brief biography of yourself under your 
own name, that the public may verify if they see 
fit. But you should supplement it by this state- 
ment which they must accept from my dictation, 
and accept you for testimony if they wish. 

"Previous to your reincarnation, you and I 
were wandering through the Universe, flitting 
from planet and flower to flower through space 
in God's great workshop. When upon reaching 
this earth for a moment we became dazzled wtih 
the novelty of our surroundings, you lost faith 
in me, your sweetheart of eternity, as described 
later on, and that you might gain a much needed 
experience I did not call you back, but have al- 
ways kept near you to guide your footsteps and 
hold you up, when all hope seemed to vanish." 

The public will readily see the reason for pre- 
senting these facts in this way, and testifying t< 
them as facts is that the public, when reading a 
romance, may be pleased for the moment, but 
quickly drop it as mere fiction, while I wish to 
present truths far stranger than fiction. 



13 



We have all of us so long laughed at all phe- 
nomena which we do not understand as mere 
hallucination, trickery, or superstition, that I de- 
sire to disabuse the mind of the public of such a 
thought, in this case. 

My introduction of myself, together with the 
numerous stories of my experience and investi- 
gation, must necessarily assume the form of an 
autobiography, so far as it goes; and I trust that 
part of it will add weight to the testimony, and 
show that the investigator is naturally free from 
superstition of any kind and well adapted for 
such investigations. Of course the romance is 
but a vehicle on which to convey the logic, reason 
and explanation of the strange phenomena pre- 
sented, and to add spice and relish which to some 
otherwise might be a dry subject, yet the narra- 
tives are kept entirely separate, while the ro- 
mance appears as descriptive dialogue of reason 
from cause to effect. 

My father, Lyman Stow, was a Vermont Yan- 
kee, and traced his ancestry back to John Stow, 
the antiquarian born in London, England, in 
1525. See preface. The Stowe's and the Ly- 
man's, who traced their ancestry to General Ly- 
man of Revolutionary fame, and the Beechers, 
married and intermarried, until the given name 
of the Stowes was often Beecher or Lyman, like 
my father's and my own, and the name Lyman 
was often found among the Beechers. Of course, 
every one knows Harriet Beecher Stowe was 
Henry Ward Beecher's sister who married a 
Stowe. It is also a fact that every Stowe family 
had one or more literary geniuses in it. 



14 

My mother was born in the Mohawk valley, 
New York, and traced her ancestry back to the 
throne of Holland, and she did not have to trace 
back so very far, either. But as far as I know I 
never got anything out of my illustrious ancestry 
except a little scrofula, and my taste for literary 
work. I might add, however, that John Stow, 
the antiquarian, gave to the world some of its 
most valuable literature, but for all that, like 
Milton, Goldsmith, Savage, Camorns, Fielding, 
Steele, Tasho, Dryden, the author of these lines, 
and mnay other authors, he was neglected dur- 
ing his life, to die in want, and his praises be sung 
after it is of no use to him. 

My parents differed in their religious views, 
so their children were given names but never 
christened according to any form. I was given 
my father's name, Lyman Stow. But as God Al- 
mighty saw fit to change the name of Abram to 
Abraham and that of Jacob to Israel, I suppose 
He found it desirable to provide circumstantial 
conditions which would change my name. At all 
events, by force of circumstances I had two let- 
ters added to my name. 

During the year 1867, while starring with a 
dramatic company, the advance man saw fit to 
place my name on the billboards as Lyman E. 
Stowe, giving me the initial E, and adding the 
final e to the name Stowe, and I let it remain so 
ever since. 

My birth was a rather an unusual event, espe- 
cially; to me, and in fact, the whole surrounding 
country was treated to a genuine surprise, for the 
day before I was born, April 2, 1843, in the now 



15 



city of Flint, Genessee county, Michigan, there 
was a heavy snow storm, and the storm king, 
with his dying winter breath, hissed his hatred in 
the lap of the young damsel Spring, and sealed 
his ashen lips with the frost of death by leaving 
three feet of snow on the ground, and when 
morning broke, the leaden gray of winter's blast 
still swept over the face of Mother Earth as if 
winter had rent the howl of his lingering hatred 
of the beautiful damsel Spring, who had co- 
quetted with him, then gave way to the smiles of 
Old Sol, who had warmed her young heart 
against her venerable lover who had lingered in 
her lap too long. 

By 10 o'clock Old Sol had dispersed the battle 
array of winter's rear guard, and smiled on beau- 
tiful Spring, who answered back his smiles with 
the dripping tears of joy as the melting snow ran 
in rivulets from tree and roof and from a thou- 
sand hills. 

At 10 o'clock that beautiful Sunday morning, 
as the church bells rang out their welcome tones 
in joyous strain, I was born ; and it is said that at 
the moment of my birth the robin and the blue- 
bird pealed forth their joyous notes of welcome 
to spring and to the stranger boy. The lowing 
cattle and the bleating sheep joined in the chorus, 
sending up their thanks for the pleasant change 
of weather; and e'en the barnyard fowl expressed 
their joy in merry cackle, or caroling song of the 
laying hen. All of which my parents took to be 
a favorable omen, and predicted for their boy the 



16 



(PICTURE OF WINTER) 

Among the recollections of my early childhood 
is the gathering of neighbors around the great 
log fires, in the old-fashioned fireplaces, at my 
father's or some neighbor's home, to while away 
the long evenings of fall and winter, cracking 
nuts, eating apples and telling stories, and many 
other ways of passing time, among which was 
that of placing me upon the table to deliver a lec- 
ture to the audience; this was when between 3 
and 4 years old. I well remember the expres- 
sions of astonishment, and peals of laughter, 
which frequently drowned my feeble voice, but 
what I said that pleased them so I cannot remem- 
ber, if I ever knew. But one thing I do remem- 
ber; that is, I always seemed to have a com- 
panion beside me who was ready to whisper a 
word in my ear if I became lost for something to 
say. This I now know was my beautiful Kar- 
menia of the invisible world. 

Hear, reader! What do you think of a boy 4 
years old being in love? 

Well, I was in love with my beautiful Kar- 
menia, as she always came at my call and ex- 
plained matters to me that my parents or others 
did not seem to understand, yet I seldom got 
more than glimpses of my beautiful one, as Kar- 
menia would not shock my young mind with too 
great familiarity; it was but glimpses of her she 
gave me. 



17 



CHAPTER III. 



Karmenia Saves My Life by a Dream. 

"Of such stuff as dreams men are made." — Shakespeare. 

I was not yet five years old when Karmenia ap- 
peared to me in a dream, and some days later 
brought the dream back to me to save my life. 

My father's house was a very large one, sur- 
rounded by an extensive door-yard. One night I 
dreamed I was being pursued by a yoke of cattle. 
The appearance of these wild-eyed cattle, spotted 
and speckled, brass-tipped horns, and rattling 
iron-trimmed yoke, will never be effaced from the 
tablets of my memory, as 'round and 'round my 
father's house they chased me until at length I 
got inside the door and fell on my knees, fright- 
ened and exhausted, crying out with a loud voice 
which awakened my mother, who quieted my 
fears with soothing words, assuring me it was 
only a dream. 

You ask what did Karmenia have to do with 
this dream? 

I answer, it was she who caused me to dream. 

Some days later I went to the mill pond with 
an older brother and some of his companions, 
who were going to swim. I, being too small to 
venture into the river, which was well filled with 
saw logs, except for a narrow strip of clear water 
in the middle of the stream, was left on shore to 
watch their clothing while they were swimming. 
I had been watching the clothes for some time, 
while running along the shore, gathering pitch 
from the pine logs for gum, when someone 



18 



slapped me on the shoulder and attracted my at- 
tention, and caused me to look far down the road, 
where I saw the identical yoke of oxen I saw in 
my dream; the same spot and speckles, the same 
yoke, the same nubs on the horns, everything 
was exact; there was no mistaking this, it was 
the identical yoke of cattle I saw in my dream. 

I could not see the person who slapped me, and 
called my attention to the cattle, but a voice told 
me to place the clothing on a verv high log, which 
I could reach by stepping from one log to an- 
other until reaching the highest point of the large 
log. It was well I was warned in time. The 
driver of the cattle at first was doing all he could 
to restrain them, but it was useless when they 
came thundering on, as if they had seen me in 
the distance, and had determined to trample me 
under foot. By the time I had gathered the 
clothing and gained the point of safety the cattle 
reached the log, wild-eyed and red-mouthed, 
flecked with foam, seemingly fierce with anger 
because they could not reach me. I was so scared 
I dropped on my knees, screaming and crying 
with fright just as I had in the dream. Karmenia 
was trying to quiet and console me, when the 
driver came up, evidently very much frightened, 
for he was very pale, and he cried out, "My God, 
my boy, I am glad you are safe, they would have 
trampled you to death." 

After much whipping and celling the driver 
again got the cattle under his control and moved 
away up £he river. I looked around to see my 
guide and companion. There was no one there, 
I was alone, but oh, I longed for my companion. 



19 

Why had I lost her? Why could I not see her? 
I had not yet even given her a name. Oh, sweet- 
heart of eternity, when shall I know thy name? 
Thy name, thy name! 

SPECULATION. 

Written by Lyman E. Stowe, March 24, 1904. 

Can you measure the depth of eternal space? 
Can you number the souls of the human race? 
( an you count the days in eternity's roll, 
Or define the vagaries of a human soul? 
You may build your theories and answer so, 
But down in your heart the truth says NO! 

Can you prove there is life on the near-by Mars? 

Can you number the nebula, or distant stars? 

Can you fix a center by a human bond, 

In a circle of space without a beyond? 

You may write, you may talk, you may answer so, 

But truth meets you forever and tells you NO! 

Can you prove there's an up or a down in the sky? 
Can you prove there's a heaven of rest on high? 
Can you prove there's a God, be he great or small, 
Or eternal life for one or for all, 
Or that we ever may rise from our earth below? 
If you're honest at heart it will answer NO! 

Can you count the drops in the ocean wide? 

Can you still the voice of the thundering tide? 

Can you number the sands or number the years, 

Or prove there's a hell where bitter tears 

By God are made to forever flow? 

Ghosts gather against you and answer NO! 

Can you prove there's a surcease, an end of strife? 
Can you fix a beginning or end for life? 
Can you still the hopes or the fears of man, 
Or measure my thought by figure or span, 
Or prove that by strife or contention or woe 
You can establish a truth? I answer you NO! 

Then let charity dwell in our hearts serene, 
And cultivate peace where contention hath been; 
Let us laugh at their hell, or their heaven above, 
While we build heaven here by the grace of our love; 
Then if all is lost e'en the force of our mind, 
We know there'll be joy in our record behind. 



20 



CHAPTER IV. 

Karmenia Gives Me My First Lesson in 
Philosophy. 

"I say first, of God above or man below, 
What can we reason but from what we knok?" 

My fifth birthday had just passed. Beautiful 
spring was manifest by all nature which was don- 
ning its dress of emerald green, while the robin 
and bluebirds were vieing with each other to see 
which could make the most noise in expressing 
his glorious joy in song and chirp, while the April 
sunshine made all mankind, who had not yet shed 
their winter garments, appear very tired and list- 
less. All good housewives had propped open 
doors and windows that every room might be 
cleansed of stagnant atmosphere while letting in 
God's sunlight and spring's pure and balmy air. 

My older brothers and I were walking in the 
road that fronted my father's house, when a man 
came by with a yoke of steers hitched to a crotch 
of a tree which was slightly rounded at the front 
end, like a sleigh runner. This was called a dray, 
and in a new country where wagons were scarce, 
this was the only vehicle used for transportation. 
This dray was provided with a large wooden cage 
which contained a black bar. After a long look 
at the animal, while the cattle were resting, I re- 
turned to the house. 

Let me here call attention to the fact that in 
frontier towns the flint and steel had not yet 
given way to the lucifer match. The postage 
stamp and envelope were unknown. The tele- 



21 



graph had not conic to the aid <>f the very tew 

railroads known, and not at all as a news dis- 
penser. The Franklin press was relied upon for 
presswork, and the tallow dip was our only light 
except the whale oil lamp, but little better. 

In those days we had no circle saw r s ; little was 
known of steam; lumber was cut from the log, 
with upright saws, either by hand or water 
power. We had no planing machines, and the 
carpenter's tools were often forged by the local 
blacksmith. Even our school children never 
knew the appearance of a lead pencil, but each 
child had a piece of lead pounded out in the form 
of a pencil, sharp at one end, and flattened at the 
other with a hole through the flat part and a 
string through it. This was suspended from the 
neck and was called a plummet. 

My oldest brother was quite a genius, and he 
had dressed some clapboards or half-inch lumber 
and sawed out several wheels which he intended 
to use in some sort of machinery. These wheels 
were about five inches in diameter. I must here 
add that a stove or a carpet had never yet been 
seen in a frontier town. 

When I entered the house I picked up several 
of these wheels, and laid down on the bare floor 
and began playing with them. I rolled the wheels 
across the floor several times and I felt sure my 
invisible companion was calling my attention to 
the fact that as long as the wheel was in motion 
it stood up, and when it stopped it fell down, and 
I began trying to puzzle the reason why this was 
the case when my brothers came in. Calling to 
my elder brother, I said: "Nick, what makes the 



22 



wheel stand up as long as it is going and fall 
when it stops?" This brother was nine years 
older than I, consequently was 14 years old, and 
had studied philosophy some, and he attempted 
to explain the law of gravitation and centripital 
and centrifugal force. Said I: "Nick" — his name 
was Cornelius, and for short we called him Xick 
— "why can't we ride it?" 

This was full 30 years before the velocipede 
came in use in this country. My brother replied 
by asking, "What would you sit on?" Said I, 
"Give me your plummet." He handed me the 
plummet, and on one of the wheels, I drew a cir- 
cle for a wheel. I then drew the cranks, a fork, 
as a backbone, with a small wheel behind, and 
then attached a saddle, and here was a crude 
drawing of the old ordinary or high-wheeled bi- 
cycle. (This was full 35 years before that style 
of wheel was ever seen in the state of Michigan, 
as the first one that appeared in Michigan was 
sent to Detroit by the Pope Manufacturing Co., 
to take part in the first and most successful bicy- 
cle parade ever held in the world, and which took 
place July 4, 1878. This was conducted yb an or- 
ganized body of wheelmen 300 strong, who were 
drilled in evolutions by squads, platoons and 
companies. With the exception of two high 
wheels, these were wooden wheels and steel tires, 
no ball bearings, mostly stone pavements, yet 
this was the most successful bicycle parade ever 
held, but for the lack of popularity of the leader 
it drew little attention.) 

My brother asked : "How would you get on the 
wheel?" 



23 



I replied: "I have seen you get on a horse when 
he was going. Why can't you get on a wheel 
when it is going?" And T drew a step on the 
backbone of the wheel to be used in mounting. 
My next brother, Solon, who was 10 years old, 
said to Cornelius: "Think of that! How did that 
baby think of those things, and I never wolud 
have thought of it?" 

This caused me to ask my older brother the 
uqestion over — why I should think of the matter 
and my brother Solon did not? But Cornelius 
impatiently pushed me aside, saying, "Oh, I don't 
know; you can ask more questions than a philos- 
opher can answer." This did not satisfy me and 
I went to my father and mother and of course I 
got no better satisfaction. But I told my parents 
at the dinner table I knew who would tell me, and 
they asked me w T ho could tell me, and I told them 
that the same one who told the robin how to 
build his nest, and the gosling how to swim 
would tell me what I wanted to know, w T hen no 
one else would tell me, and they all looked at me 
with astonishment, and at supper my father 
asked me if anyone had told me what I wanted to 
know and I replied: "She told me." "She told 
you!" they all exclaimed at once. "Yes," I re- 
plied, "she told me. I and the birdies and the 
goslings have lived a good many times, and we 
remember what we saw before, and I saw the 
wheel one time and I remembered it, but Solon 
could not remember that he had seen it." This 
made everybody around the table laugh, and yet 
they wondered where I got the idea. 



24 

CHAPTER V. 

Karmenia Causes Me to Astonish My Mother — 
Testimony of Former Lives. 

REINCARNATION. 

"Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of woman there hath 
not risen a greater than John the Baptist, notwithstanding, he that is least 
in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he." 

"And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come." — St. 
Matthew XI, 11, 14. 

My mind was continually running back to 
scenes of other days, or other lives, just as one 
vividly, or faintly as the case may be, reverts back 
to scenes of childhood days. 

I often addressed my mother thus: "Mamma, 
this looks just like our home, when I lived be- 
fore." Or it might be in reference to a child I 
declared I had known and played with at such 
and such a place. Finally my mother asked me 
to describe some of the places where I had been, 
all of which I did, and my mother was so dumb- 
founded she could only say to my father : "Where 
could the child get such ideas? He has not been 
to school, he cannot read, and he has certainly 
never heard such descriptions in our own home." 

I remember on one occasion of telling my 
mother I had been a man and carried letters for a 
king, and I described mountain scenery, and at 
that time I had never seen a mountain. I de- 
scribed beautiful oaths and covered roadwav r 
and large stone structures, also a small animal, 
which my parents recognized as the Peruvian 
llama, and it was evident I had been a runner, or 
messenger, for a Peruvian Inca. 

Many years after, I described these scenes so 
vividly to my son-in-law that he got Prescot's 
"Peru" and read it aloud, and when he came to 



25 

the descriptions of scenery, such as I had de- 
scribed, we at once recognized it, though I had 
never read a work on Peru. 

My memory was not confined to one life, but 
1 related scenes of man}' lives. 

( )n one occasion, when looking over a picture 
book, I took particular notice of a woman kneel- 
ing before a great rock in supplication while a 
man was dropping a stone upon her head from 
above. I screamed with horror, which fright- 
ened my mother, and in her attempts to pacify 
me, she insisted on knowing w T hat frightened me 
so, and I explained to her just where I stood and 
witnessed the terrifying scene. My mother tried 
and declared it w T as only the result of my vivid 
imagination. But what a strange sequel was I 
to witness to that scene, and so many, many years 
after! 

It was in 1898, a year of many wonderful 
events to me, just 55 years after my fright over 
the picture in the book. I w r as practicing astrol- 
ogy and giving lessons in the science. 

A young lady, I will call her Fannie, took up 
the study of astrology with me. Nothing un- 
usual transpired for several weeks, except that 
she seemed to me as familiar as if a well known 
friend. Yet I could not place her. 

I was thinking of this one day when I heard 
Karmenia's merry laugh, and a few moments 
later I saw my student pass the window toward 
the door. She w r as dressed in a peculiar garb and 
wore a new hat with a large feather, which at 
once set my brain in a whirl and the scene at the 
rock came before me. As I opened the door for 



26 



her to enter, I staggered back and reeled — I could 
hardly keep my feet. Startled at my appearance, 
she cryed: ''What in the world is the matter? 
You are as white as a sheet." 

It was necessary for me to explain, and then 
ask her if she ever became frightened so she fell 
upon her knees before a great rock. 

"Indeed I did," she replied. "I was once with 
my father and mother on a boat coming out of 
the Soo; when the boat rounded a great rock at 
the mouth of the river, something in the scene 
seemed so familiar and so horrible. I fell upon 
my knees, expressing my fright in screams of 
terror. My parents pacified me, and told me I — 
a young woman — should be ashamed to be 
frightened at that rock, as I paid no attention to 
it when we went up the river, and I have often 
thought of it and wondered what caused the 
fright." She added: "What has that got to do 
with your present agitation, and if that has any 
bearing on the matter, what is it and why was I 
frightened the second time I saw the rock, and 
not the first?" 

"I replied, "I will tell you next time you come." 
I did not tell her I wished to consult Karmenia. 

Karmenia explained to me that the rock affair 
was a tragedy we were both interested in at the 
close of a former life, we being lovers and mur- 
dered by another jealous lover, and the conditions 
had to be just right for the magnetic currents to 
revive the memory and bring back the old scenes. 

"Well," said I, "if we were the innocent vic- 
tims and suffered so, what must be the feelings 



27 



of the guilty party when such scenes are brought 
hack to his view ?" 

"Ah yes," said karmenia, "but were you en- 
tirely innocent? It is very rare indeed a part are 
innocent and one alone is guilty. Let this be a 
lesson to you." 

I once attended an Episcopal church with my 
mother, and when we got home I said to her, 
"Ma, J used to do that." "Do what?" she asked. 
"I used to preach in a church, but I had a good 
deal nicer gown than he had. My gowns were 
all covered with pretty beads and bright stones." 

Of course my mother could only repeat, it was 
a part of my strong imagination. Well, let us 
note the sequel. Many years after, I had this 
brought before me when I had told my son-in- 
law of these things, but I will leave it to be de- 
scribed in a future chapter. 




28 

CHAPTER VI. 
Karmenia Goes to Sunday School With Me. 

Sweet are the uses of adversity, 

Which like the toad, ugly and venomous, 

Wears yet a precious jewel, in his head, 

And this our life, exempt from public haunt, 

Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 

Sermons in stones, and good in everything. 

— Shakespeare, "As You Like It," Act II, Scene I. 

My father was a Universalist, my mother had 
been a Baptist, a Presbyterian, and at the date of 
this incident she was a Methodist, though she 
afterward became a spiritualist and finally died 
an agnostic. Almost the last words she said to 
me, which was when she was on her death bed 
was, "I don't know, Lyman ; I don't know wheth- 
er there is anything after this life or not." 

Said I: "Mother, are you not afraid to die with 
such thought?" 

"No," said she. "What should I be afraid of? 
I have always lived right and never intentionally 
wronged any one, and even Christ died in doubt, 
for he cried out: 'My God! My God! Why hast 
thou forsaken me?' " 

It is said "a wise man may change his mind, 
but a fool never." Well, my mother was a wise 
woman, and few bible students knew more of 
that great book than she did. 

In consequence of my father and mother dif- 
fering in their religious views, the children were 
never sent to Sunday school unless they wanted 
to go, so I never entered a Sunday school until I 
was 7 years old. Then a neighbor boy came in 
and said his Sunday school teacher wanted the 
pupils to get as many to come to Sunday school 
as possible, and wanted to know if I would go 
with him. 



29 



At first I declined, but my mother told me I 
better go, and said perhaps I would like it. Kar- 
menia also whispered to me, and said I better 
go, and she would go with me. So I concluded 
to go, and with my mother's assistance I was 
soon read\' and on my way. 

When we arrived at the church, we found my 
companion's teacher was absent on account of 
sickness, and there w T as an elderly lady, a min- 
ister's wife, who would act as substitute. My 
parents were acquainted with this lady and she 
had often called at our house. Finally, on her 
rounds hearing the scholars recite their bible 
verses, she came to me and asked if I had my les- 
son, but the boy I went with told her that it was 
my first Sunday to Sunday school, and of course 
I had no lesson. The lady, however, asked me to 
read a verse from the bible to her, which I did. 
She then asked me if I would come again. I told 
her I did not know — I would see how I liked it. 

"Would you not like to go to heaven?" she 
asked. 

I replied, "I don't know; what kind of a place 
is it?" 

Said she : "Heaven is a beautiful place where 
God and the angels are, where the streets are 
paved with gold and the gates are made of pearl, 
and if you are a good boy you will go to heaven 
and you will put on a white robe, and put a crown 
on your head, and take a harp in your hand and 
sit among the angels and sing 'Glory, Glory, 
Glory' forever and everlasting." 

Now my father's gate was a pair of bars, and I 
did not know much about pearl, but I could not 



30 

see why a light pine board was not as good as 
anything else for that purpose. The sandy roads 
were very good for me to play in, and I couldn't 
see any use of putting gold on them, and in fact 
I never was much of a gold worshiper anyway. 
I had never heard anything but a nightgown 
called a robe, and I didn't know much about 
crowns and harps and when I thought about 
singing one song forever and ever, and that a 
mighty short one, my nature rebelled, and Kar- 
menia laughed so loud I was afraid the teacher 
would hear her, and I grasped my cap and 
opened the old fashioned pew door to go out, and 
the lady asked, "Where are you going? I replied, 
"I am going home. I don't want to go to any 
such place where I have to sing three words for- 
ever." 

Well, I ran all of the way home, and when I 
got there my mother said, "Why, Sunday school 
can't be out; what brought you home so quick?" 

I told her what the teacher said and I declared 
I was not going to put on a night gown and sing 
"Glory, Glory, Glory" forever and live in streets 
"what ain't got no warm sand to play in." 

My father, who sat shaving himself, burst out 
laughing and said: "If the child is going to rea- 
son in that way he need not go to Sunday school 
until he is old enough to understand." 

My mother also laughed, and Karmenia 
laughed so loud I said, "shut up." I said, "She 
laughs all the time." Of course, though I had 
no name for Karmenia as yet, my mother knew 
who I meant. 



31 



CHAPTER VII. 
I See My Father's Spirit. 

"It is sown a natural body and is raised a spiritual body, and there is a 
spiritual body." — I. Corinthians, XV; 44. 

My father died December 17th, 1852, when I 
was in my 9th year. He had been ill for several 
years, with dropsy. During my father's illness, 
all knowing he must soon pass away, there was 
much speculation as to a future state; this was 
highly increased in consequence of supposed 
spirit manifestations of spirits through the Fox 
sisters, at Rochester, N. Y. 

Because of the great excitement by his sup- 
posed revelation, my father promised my mother 
that if it were possible to return and let her know 
of a future state he would come back. This was 
a sufficient reason, of itself, for his return and 
trial to make himself manifest. But, there were 
still other reasons for his return. My father died 
at 9 o'clock in the evening. I had been sent to 
bed, and I was the only one of the large family 
whom he did not see and bid goodbye. This was 
a good reason for his coming and for his coming 
to me. But there was another and still stronger 
reason for his coming. 

Our home, the large frame house spoken of 
before, with ten acres of ground, just in the out- 
skirts of the city of Flint, was all of the property 
my father owned. 

This he had traded for a farm of eighty acres 
in the town of Richfield. He traded with a man 
by the name of Parks, who had just come home 
from California, supposed to have considerable 
money. There were also some pretty hard stories 



32 



agog as to how Parks got his money, and mur- 
der, even, was hinted at. 

My father dropped away pretty suddenly and 
he had deeded our property to Parks, but had not 
received the deed of the farm in return. 

Father had hardly been buried when Parks, 
knowing possession was nine points of law, de- 
termined to get into the house. My mother be- 
ing full of trouble, and not knowing what to do, 
let him in the house. The house, as before stated, 
was a large one, large enough for two families. 
My mother's family occupied the west end of the 
house and Parks' family occupied the east end. 
Parks was continually urging my mother to get 
a place and give him full possession of the house. 

My father having made the law his profession 
and having been a judge for fourteen years in 
succession, well understood the power of retain- 
ing possession of the property until Parks should 
give her the deed of the farm, and probably 
knowing that if mother surrendered the prop- 
erty, Parks never would give up the deed, which 
was really the case, and we lost the whole thing 
in the end, which no doubt father foresaw and 
came to warn us of. At least either one of these 
causes was an excuse sufficiently strong to cause 
his spirit to use extraordinary efforts to come 
back to us. 

The last I saw of my father was as he was laid 
out. Dying of dropsy, the face was bloated and 
the under jaw fell down and was tied up by pass- 
ing under the chin and over the head a gingham 
handkerchief. 

My mother's bed stood against the western 



33 



wall o\ a large room formerly used as a parlor. 
The head on her bed was to the south, the foot 
to the north. I slept in a small bed at the foot of 
her bed with my head to the north. At the head 
of my bed, in the western wall, was a window and 
in the northern side two windows. In the north- 
east corner was a door entering the large sitting 
room in the east end of the house occupied by 
Parks. A large chimney with fireplaces in every 
room occupied the center of the building, and in 
the south side of my mother's room was a door 
entering a hall which led to the stairway and to 
the kitchen. 

Always being troubled with catarrh, even in 
childhood, I drew the coverlid over my head in 
cold weather. I woke up some time in the night 
by the clothes being nicely folded back and it 
aroused me, so I looked out into the room, which 
was very light with a brig'ht, mellow astral light, 
very much like our brush electric light, only a 
softer, more mellow light. It should be remem- 
bered here that the tallow candle was the light of 
these times. As I looked out into the room, 
there stood father in his shroud and the gingham 
handkerchief around his face as before described. 
I looked at him for a long time. I felt the pres- 
ence of Karmenia and was not afraid, but I won- 
dered what it meant. I finally called to my 
mother, "Ma, ma, ma." At last she awoke, but 
as she did so, my father stepped backward, back- 
ward, backward and disappeared, and the light 
faded away. My mother asked, "What is the 
matter?" I replied, "Pa is here." She answered, 
"Oh, no, I don't see him; you are only dreaming." 



34 



But I insisted. "He is here, but when you awoke 
the light went out and he disappeared." I fin- 
ally quieted down and went to sleep. How long 
I slept I do not know, when I was again awak- 
ened the same as before, and saw my father just 
the same, but for some reason I never thought to 
speak to him. But I called my mother the same 
as before and was quieted in the same manner, 
and my mother insisted I was dreaming, and I 
insisted I was not; however, I was again quieted 
and went to sleep, when for the third time I was 
awakened in the same manner, and for the third 
time quieted and was not disturbed any more that 
night. The next morning my dream, as it was 
called, was the talk of the household, and before 
night the talk of the town. 

The following night I was awekened again in 
the same manner, when Karmenia told me to be 
quiet and notice everything. 

My father when a young man had been a 
school teacher in Vermont, and board around at 
the homes of the pupils, so sometimes was com- 
pelled to walk long distances to the school. Dur- 
ing some of these long walks in cold weather he 
had frozen his big toes, and the nails always 
grew thick and clumsy, like a horn, such as is 
used on handles of a knife. I had often noticed 
this and, child-like, had asked him what caused 
it, and he as often told me. 

When he appeared to me he lifted his shroud 
and pointed to his feet, for me to see it was him. 
Karmenia told me to look, and I gazed long and 
earnestly before calling my mother. Finally, 
when I called my mother, the same thing was re- 



35 



peated as the night before; my father stepped 
hack. hack, back, the light faded and went out, 
as my mother awoke. My mother quieted me as 
before, and she asked me why I did not speak to 
father, but I could not tell. Three times this was 
repeated, the same as the night before. Of 
course the next morning it was the talk of the 
household as before, and it was declared a dream, 
though thought rather strange that it should be 
repeated so often. 

Being a child, I was sent to bed before the rest 
of the family retired. I insisted that they place 
something in the room, after I had gone to sleep, 
and take it out in the morning before I awoke. 
I also requested that my older brother should 
sleep with me. Karmenia told me to do this. 
But my mother said, "No," I must sleep with her, 
for if possible she wished to see my father, so that 
night I slept with my mother. This brought my 
head to the south, and when looking out into the 
room it brought me on my right side, resting on 
my right elbow. I was awakened as usual and 
my father did the same as before, but I thought 
he looked sad, as if very sorry he could not make 
himself understood. Why I did not speak to 
him, I do not know. But I noticed everything in 
the room so to prove I was not dreaming, and I 
pinched mother under the clothes so if possible 
to awaken her without driving the apparition 
away. Finally, after much pinching and shak- 
ing my mother awoke, but as she awoke father 
stepped back and disappeared as the light faded 
and mother could see nothing. This was repeated 
three times, the same as the nights previous. 



36 



There had been so much talk of fright, and I 
had been asked so many times if I was not fright- 
ened that of course I began to have some fears, 
though I did not know what I should be afraid 
of. I told mother that if it was pa I wished he 
would not come again, as it scared me, and I 
never saw him from that day to this, and never 
got in communication through the ordinary 
channels of spiritualism that was any satisfac- 
tory to me that it came from father. Karmenia 
seemed sad that I wished the apparition away. 




37 



CHAPTER VIII. 

I Am Converted at a Boys' Prayer Meeting at 10 

Years of Age, and Karmenia Approves of It. 

"There is a divinity that shapes our ends. 
Rough-hew them as we will." — Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2. 

Everybody knows that in all small towns, as 
well as in most large cities, the church congrega- 
tions have their annual revivals, to save as many 
souls as possible, as they call it. 

Their revivals are all right, so far as they go, 
and sometimes a lasting impression is left that 
proves of great benefit to some poor being, but 
Karmenia tells me so far as a lost soul is con- 
cerned it is all nonsense, for a soul cannot be lost, 
though it may be saved from much sorrow and 
distress by certain conditions brought about at 
these revivals, or in many other ways as well. 

Well, in the city of Flint, Mich., during the 
winter of 1853-1854, the churches had held very 
stirring revivals, and many a hard-headed old 
sinner had been brought to his knees and many 
strange phases of human nature were brought to 
light. One lifelong professed Christian became 
conscience-stricken and confessed, before a mul- 
titude of people, that he had stolen a sheep of a 
poor farmer, and though he was rich and the 
farmer poor, he made no restitution other than 
the confession. 

Another one told how he had received two $10 
bills where he should have kept but one, and he 
never had told the man of his error until this con- 
fession, and never returned the $10 given him 
by mistake. 



38 

The churches were filled to overflowing at this 
time, and the young folks held prayer meetings 
at home. I was invited to one of these prayer 
meetings and Karmenia requested that I go. 
This was a meeting of boys from 8 to 15 years of 
age, and several of the boys spoke with much 
earnestness, while I all of the time sat thinking 
of the queer phases of human nature as I saw it 
both among the boys and their elders in the 
churches. Karmenia, however, was disposed to 
call my attention to the fact that human nature 
was very much alike, the world over, and I must 
not criticize too closely, that the cause was all 
right, and I should understand the eternal fitness 
of things and think soberly and earnestly of the 
matter in hand. 

One of the boys made a very eloquent and 
earnest appeal to everyone present to join in 
prayer, and while praying to think of nothing 
else but being heard by Jesus. Said he: "Do not 
be like the man who claimed he could never get a 
prayer answered; a Christian told him it was be- 
cause his prayers never went higher than his 
head, as his mind was always on something else. 
This was denied, and the Christian said: 'If you 
will pray for five minutes earnestly without 
thinking of anything else but your prayer, I will 
give you a horse/ This was agreed to, and the 
man began praying, but in a few moments he 
stopped short and, lifting his head, he cried out, 
'Will you give me the saddle, too?'" 

Said the speaker: ''This shows how deep some 
men's prayers are; the mind is on something of 
a selfish nature. Now I want evervone here to 



39 

keep his mind oil Jesus, while he prays." Stop- 
ping short, he turned to me abruptly and asked, 
"Brother Stowe, will you lead us in prayer?" 

This request came so suddenly and forcefully 
that, without stopping to think, I arose and 
prayed standing-. Karmenia must have helped 
me, for I never faltered, or lacked for words, but 
prayed with great earnestness and force, asking 
God's help for my widow r ed mother, for my 
brothers and sisters, and strength to bear up and 
be a good Christian through life. My compan- 
ions were surprised, but no more so than I w r as. 

AYhen I went home I told mother w T hat had 
happened. Some of my brothers and sisters w T ere 
inclined to laugdi at me, but mother and Kar- 
menia told me to pay no attention to that, and 
when I went to bed I felt as though I could take 
God in my arms, I was so happy, and I have been 
a praying man from that day to this, and though 
I sometimes swear, and do things that Christians 
think are awful, I hate to hear swearing and my 
prayers have often helped me over many rough 
places, and my prayers have forever been that I 
might see the right and gain w 7 isdom and knowl- 
edge, and Karmenia is alw r ays near me to help 
me. 

In my search for knowledge I have been com- 
pelled to not only condemn the churches for much 
of their folly and error, but I have been compelled 
to pick the Bible to pieces, and show its w T eak 
points as w r ell as its strong ones, but I have never 
lost my respect and faith for God, or for the ideal 
character of Christ, though sometimes my faith 
has been terribly strained, which Karmenia tells 



40 



me is to aid me in developing more perfect man- 
hood, until now I feel that I know where we 
came from, what we are here for and where we 
are going, and Karmenia will make all things 
plain, as we proceed. 




41 



CHAPTER IX. 

Karmenia Causes Me to Forsee an Accidental 
Tragedy. 

"In God's one single can its end produce; 
Yet serves a second to some other use. 
So man, who here seems principle alone. 
Perhaps acts second to some sphere unknown, 
Touches some wheel, or verges to some goal; 
'Tis but a part we see and not the whole." 

— Pope. 

After my father's death, my mother bought 
two and a half acres of ground in the southeast 
corner of the city of Flint, and had a house built 
on it. 

To the south of this were large fields of a farm. 
To the east of our property and the east of the 
farm ran a strip of woods, where in those days 
were to be found plenty of squirrels, pigeons and 
other game. 

This was in the summer after my 12th birth- 
day. 

One Sunday morning my brother Solon and I 
were out walking in the woods, and we met a 
young man by the name of White. Notwith- 
standing Mr. White was hunting on Sunday, a 
thing not thought so bad in those days, he was 
a very intelligent, and well thought of young 
man. 

This was just after wheat was cut, and that 
time is known .as the "passage of the wild 
pigeon." Where such a multitude of these birds 
came from nobody knew, and though they were 
in such vast numbers thev sometimes darkened 



42 



the sky, they are gone; we never see one now; 
some have since thought they were incarnated 
angels come to shed their blood to atone for the 
terrible passions of men about to burst forth in 
the awful war which soon followed. Vast num- 
bers of these birds were slain, often trapped with 
great nets, or killed with clubs, at their roosting 
places. They soon disappeared. 

In those days there were no breech-loading 
guns and Mr. White carried an old styled muzzle- 
loading smooth bore rifle, a gun used for shot, 
for small game, and for patched ball for heavier 
game. 

People often adorned the stocks of their guns 
with beautiful carvings and inlaid work, and on 
the stock of a rifle was generally found a brass- 
trimmed box for holding grease and patches. A 
patch consisted of a small piece of greased linen 
an inch square, in which the ball was placed, and 
then forced down the gun with a ramrod. This 
gun was bright with silver mountings which at- 
tracted my attention, and I started to pick up the 
gun to examine it, as he had set it down against 
a tree for a moment. 

Speaking sharply, he said: "Don't touch the 
gun. It is a very dangerous gun; it has already 
killed two men/' 

I answered, involuntarily: "You should not 
carry it, then." 

Karmenia whispered to me and told me to beg 
of him to take it home, or he would be killed with 
it before night. So I said: "Please go home with 
the gun right away; please do. Or your words 



43 

of yesterday will come true; you will be killed 
with that gun before night." 

lie grew very pale as he said to my brother: 
"That is very strange. I am a cabinet maker, 
and I made a coffin yesterday, and when I fin- 
ished it, T laid down in it and said, 'That is just 
my tit ; T will be buried in it next week,' and the 
hoys in the shop all told me I ought not to go 
out hunting today, with that gun, anyway. But," 
he continued, "as long as I have the gun in my 
hands I shall be all right." 

Again I begged of him to go home, assuring 
him if he stayed out he would be shot with his 
own gun. 

It is needless to say I had never heard of this 
young man until we met a few moments before. 

Laughing, he said : "I will take good care the 
gun does not leave my hands, and then there will 
be no danger," and he plunged into the woods, 
and my brother and I returned to the house. As 
my brother and I walked along, he said to me: 
"You should not have spoken to him in that way; 
it made him feel bad." 

"Well," said I, "he should go home; he will 
surely be killed before night." 

About 6 o'clock in the evening we noticed a 
large number of people crossing the fields to the 
south of us, and several carriages were also driv- 
ing through the fields, and we went down to see 
what caused the commotion. We soon learned 
on reaching the fields that my prediction had 
come too true. 

White had met another young man, and they 
had hunted together until the pigeons began to 



44 

flock to the wheat stubble for their supper. Then 
the young men were walking along, concealing 
themselves in the brush that skirted the fields. 
By some means, or for some purpose, they for a 
moment changed guns, the other young man 
walking ahead with Mr. White's gun on his 
shoulder, not knowing of its tricks. The treach- 
erous gun by some means was discharged, and 
the shot took effect in Mr. White's neck and he 
was instantly killed. Thus Karmenia's words, 
Mr. White's prophecy and my prophecy came 
true, and became the wonder of all who heard of 
it, and he was buried in that same coffin. 

Here I noticed one thing wmich will be spoken 
of farther on. This was the third man killed with 
that gun, and it was one of many inanimate 
things I have noticed to be possessed of fatality, 
called by some supposedly superstitious people, 
"hoodooed." 

I say "some superstitious people," because I do 
not think every person who chances to notice 
some things that others do not see are supersti- 
tious, nor do I believe in putting credence in 
every foolish sign and imaginative danger. 

Of course I know people quickly become super- 
stitious on discovering a phenomena they do not 
understand, but the person who denies the exis- 
tence of all phenomena because he cannot under- 
stand it is fully as superstitious as one who is 
ready to attribute supernatural effects to every 
frivolous thing. But Karmenia will make all 
these things plain as we proceed. 

It is said that the Rothschilds, millionaires, 
will have nothing to do with a man known to be 



45 



an unfortunate man. If misfortune follows a 
man I cannot see why it should not follow things. 
Every merchant has noticed certain articles that 
seem to be fated, and yet if started all at once 
they all slide off in a hurry. I was once canvass- 
ing and selling Bibles on installments, and I sold 
one $20 Bible twenty times and received $1 each 
time, and was then compelled to take it back, and 
I left it somewhere and forgot where I left it and 
lost it. People might say I gained $20. But I 
lost twenty good sales and lost more time than 
the $20 was worth. I have noticed hundreds of 
such instances of unfortunate goods and so have 
other merchants. But Karmenia will make all 
of this plain, and Karmenia says it is not wise to 
live in one town, or in one house, too long, espe- 
cially if luck seems working against you. 

I laughed at Karmenia when she told me I 
was surrounded by an element of bad luck, but 
she asked me how I accounted for everything 
coming my way sometimes, even to winning 
games of cards easily, at one time, and everything 
going against me at another; yet she said it was 
good to keep my mind positive there was no bad 
luck that could harm me, as that acted as a bar- 
rier to the evil elements. 

"But Karmenia," said I, "every Christian and 
every wise man knows there is no such thing as 
luck." 

Karmenia laughed and said: "That is true, 
sweetheart; luck is merely misunderstood law. 
Learn that law and turn it to your benefit." 



4 6 



CHAPTER X. 

The Vision in the Schoolroom. 

If the great end be human happiness, 
Then nature deviates. Can man do less?" 

— Pope. 

During the winter of 1857 I was attending the 
Flint union school. This was in the 14th year 
of my age. 

Attending the same school and pursuing the 
same studies was the daughter of a Flint hotel- 
keeper, Miss Agnes G. She was a beautiful, blue 
eyed, golden haired little miss, I think one of the 
sweetest, prettiest little girls I ever saw, and as 
she sat just across the aisle from my desk, we 
often helped each other in our lessons, and if ever 
a boy of 14 was in love, I was in love with that lit- 
tle girl, perhaps a year younger than I. But of 
course she never knew of my love, for I never 
told her, but often begged the privilege of draw- 
ing her on my handsled, or I would rush up be- 
hind her and steal a kiss, or it might be, when 
skating in the schoolyard, which was very large 
and flat, often covered with ice, I would skate up 
behind her, seize her in my arms and rush away 
with her like the wind, pursued by other boys. 
I was apparently rescuing her from capture — 
the hero, of course — and I received a kiss for my 
reward. Though there were plenty of pretty 
girls, there were several youngsters vying with 
each other for her attentions. I do not think she 
noticed my affections to any extent. But the 
depth of my feelings may be measured by the 



47 



fact that I often walked two miles just to see her 
through a window, not knowing her parents; 
boy-like, I feared to enter the house. This was 
the following three winters before I enlisted for 
the war in 1861. 

Summers, while working in the garden or corn- 
field, I used to plant corn in the form of letters of 
the alphabet spelling her name. But I seldom 
saw her to speak to, after I left school, and that 
irony of fate "that shapes our ends, rough hue 
them as we will," separated us forever. But to 
the vision. 

One winter afternoon, the sun was shining 
brightly in the western windows of a large school 
room. My seat being well back in the southwest 
corner, a little to the east of midway of the north 
side of the room was an opening into the main 
hall running through the center of the large 
school; the eastern entrance to the hall was kept 
open, the western entrance always closed. From 
my seat I could not see the eastern entrance of 
the hall. 

The last class was on the floor reciting in the 
northwestern corner of the schoolroom, and as I 
looked straight down the aisle Agnes stood in 
the class on one foot, the other drawn up under 
her short dress, as was her habit, like a chicken 
that draws one foot up under its feathers. I had 
just picked up her books and mine, and cleared 
our desks for the night. I still sat with my ruler 
in my hand, looking at Agnes and thinking how 
pretty she looked, when I heard Karmenia's 
voice saying, "Look, look look!" 



48 



I saw the school dismissed, and the children 
going out into the hall. I looked beyond to the 
outer door, which was impossible for me, in my 
normal state of mind, to see from where I sat, 
but now I saw the slanting oak threshold covered 
with snow r and ice. I saw the children crowding- 
out and Agnes slip and fall. I sprang forward, 
pushing the children aside and caught her in my 
arms and saved her head from striking the step. 

All of this took place in a moment's time, and 
while I never lost sight of the class on the floor, 
and Agnes standing before me, as much of a 
vision as the other, yet as the real vision vanished 
and I was confusedly brushing my hand before 
my eyes, Karmenia laughed outright, but whis- 
pered, "This will all take place in a few mo- 
ments." 

I was still puzzling over the mystery when 
school was dismissed and I saw the last of the 
scholars go out of the schoolroom door, when I 
sprang to my feet, rushed forward, brushing the 
scholars aside, and caught the little girl just as 
she slipped and fell, in the exact way I had seen 
myself doing not more than fifteen minutes be- 
fore. 

The pupils cried: "How did you know she 
would fall? You came rushing through the hall 
flinging the children aside, just as if you knew 
she would fall." I did not tell them, but I got a 
kiss for my dexterity, and everybody laughed 
merrily. I doubt, however, that a single soul be- 
sides myself remembers the incident, yet it will 
never be effaced from the tablets of my memory. 



49 

From this forward for a long time, Karmenia 
and Agnes seemed to blend as one, and I seldom 
got a glimpse of Karmenia until I saw her on the 
battlefield mentioned in the opening chapter. 
This was from 1857 to 1862. 

Chapters X and XI may be called a continua- 
tion of Chapter IX, though entirely different, yet 
do not forget Chapter IX while waiting for the 
next two chapters, X entitled The Problems of 
Life, and XI, A Lesson in Natural History. Kar- 
menia causes me to be sorry I killed a rattle- 
snake, and thirty years later to be sorry for kill- 
ing a rat. 




51 




50 

CHAPTER XL 

My Acquaintance with Mr. Heather, and My 

First Lesson in Evolution. 

It Pleases Karmenia Very Much. 

"In Parts superior what advantage lies? 
Till for you can, what is it to be wise? 
Tis but to know how little can be known; 
To see all others' faults and feel your own; 
Condemned in business or in Arts to drudge, 
Without a second, or without a judge; 
Truths would you teach, or save a sinking land, 
All fear, none aid you, and few understand, 
Painful pre-eminence! yourself too view, 
Above life's weakness, and its comforts, too." 

—Pope. 

During the years 1857,1858 1859 and 1860, 
Spiritualism made rapid headway, especially in 
the city of Flint, and many evening meetings and 
Sunday meetings were held at private houses, 
sometimes at the home of one and then the home 
of another earnest investigator. I often attended 
these meetings. 

During the above mentioned years there lived 
in Flint, Mich., a man by the name of Heather. 
Mr. Heather had been an old school teacher, but 
was now working at harness making. He was a 
great reader and investigator in every line of 
thought. He had read Darwin's works and had 
become a strong believer in the evolution theory, 
and loved to discuss it with everybody who would 
reason with him. 

This was too much for the church people; they 
could not tolerate the idea of an evolutionist in 
their midst and they branded him an atheist, and 
a follower of Thomas Paine. Mr. Heather was 
ostracised and shunned by the very class who 
crucified Christ and afterward became his most 



52 

ardent followers, in name, but not in virtue. I 
said everybody ostracised him and shunned him. 
I will modify that by stating everybody except 
the Spiritualists and even they were wont to cast 
sidelong glances at him and whisper one to an- 
other, "There goes the man who believes our 
forefathers were monkeys." 

I once asked Karmenia what that meant and 
she replied: "If they were a little further ad- 
vanced from the monkey they would see that evo- 
lution, with our souls rising from monkeys to 
Gods, or to a God, is much pleasanter and more 
logical than to believe we were Gods and going 
down to monkeys or told to love our enemies 
while God roasts his in an everlasting hell of tor- 
ment, and he called all wise and all merciful. But 
evolution does not mean that man merely sprang 
from the monkey, but still farther back from the 
blade of grass or still farther the drop of water 
or the germ of thought sent out by a wise God to 
gather strength by experience, which must go on 
through many lives." 

The Evolution idea at that time was far ahead 
of the times, and the spirit of religious intoler- 
ance the old church displayed when it drove the 
followers of the reformed churches to the wilder- 
ness existed in those very reform churches and 
does today, and they have been ready to perse- 
cute or hinder every step of advancement — to 
Spiritualism, Evolution, Christian Science, the 
New Thought theosophy, modern reincarnation 
views, Astrology, the Atomic Soul theory — and 
ready to brand them all the works of his Satanic 
Majesty, or exploded theories, though they never 



tell us who exploded them. Once in a while they 
will admit Evolution is a truth, but they do not 
see that if God is the author of all things, He 
is the author of Evolution, and that experience, 
the most sacred of all things, must be the true 
aim and purpose in Evolution, and without rein- 
carnation Evolution must fall flat. 

Mr. Heather was in earnest searching after 
truth, and it did not matter to him whether it 
was Methodism, Evolution, Spiritualism, or any 
other ism, if it was only a doorway that promised 
to lead to truth, he entered that door and fol- 
lowed the hallway until a more promising door- 
way came to view, and he declared that anyone 
who tried to prevent him from investigating was 
an enemy to God, as God must be the creator of 
the Law of Progress; hence such people were like 
those Christ condemned who refused even a cup 
of cold water to one of those little ones, and who 
stand in the door, neither entering themselves, or 
permitting others to enter. 

At one of these meetings I became acquainted 
with Mr. Heather, and on hearing his talk on 
Evolution I became much interested, and as soon 
as possible I began plying him with questions, 
seeking more information. 

Mr. Heather, on finding I was interested, 
though a boy of 14, took great pains to explain 
matters to me, so far as he knew, and this led us 
into much speculation. In these matters Kar- 
menia seemed well pleased and often drew my 
attention away from Agnes to a conversation 
with Mr. Heather, yet if I tried to see Karmenia 
it was always the face of Agnes I saw instead of 
Karmenia's. 



54 

As between Spiritualism and Evolution, Mr. 
Heather and myself could never come to a finla 
determination as to whether there was a future 
existence or not. While Karmenia and Agnes 
were dancing in and out of my thoughts and be- 
fore my eyes so much, I could never tell which 
held my thoughts the longest, except when Kar- 
menia and Agnes seemed blended into one. 

Finally, just after my 18th birthday, the war 
broke out between the North and South. Being 
very patriotic, I enlisted for the war. 

One day, before I started for the front, my 
friend, Mr. Heather, came to me with tears in his 
eyes, and said he: "My boy, I am sorry to part 
with you. I feel that I am losing the only com- 
panion that can understand and reason with me. 
But if the war continues, I will soon follow you, 
and if we are killed in battle we shall the sooner 
solve the problem of a future existence, so far as 
we are concerned." 

I replied : "No ! No ! Mr. Heather. You have a 
family to look after. The country does not need 
your services. There are plenty of young men, 
with no responsibilities, who should supply all 
the soldiers the government needs." 

I do believe my friend was willing to die that 
he might pursue the investigations, on the spirit 
side of life, if possible. Alas, poor man, he did 
enlist in the 8th Michigan Infantry, and soon 
solved the problem so far as he was concerned. 

I must say, for the sake of the truth, I have at- 
tended many spiritual circles, but I have never 
heard a word from my old friend, perhaps be- 
cause I have never asked for him. He probably 
rose so high he will not return until I call. 



55 

The excitement of the war not only caused my 
first lesson in Evolution to slumber in my bosom 
for years, but it nearly drove Karmenia and Ag- 
nes out of my mind, except as Karmenia ap- 
peared to me occasionally during the war. 

I remember once attending a gospel meeting 
where the preacher, a Methodist, spoke very bit- 
terly against the Catholics, and then against ev- 
ery other denomination, and wound up by declar- 
ing not one in a thousand of the Methodists could 
escape damnation, and as for the heathen beliefs 
in reincarnation, why that was exploded long 
ago, before man learned better. Said he: "What 
good has that heathen idea ever done the world? 
Look for your answer at the dark continent, and 
read over the pages of history." This caused me 
to ask the same question of Karmenia. 

Karmenia laughed merrily and replied: "Oh 
my dear loved one, with all of the many reincar- 
nations, thou hast not yet even got away from 
the crooked calf-path of mankind." 

"What do you mean by that?" I asked. Said 
she: "The mills of the Gods grind slow, but they 
grind exceedingly fine." 

Says Herbert Spencer: "It took 4,000 years to 
evolve four strings to a stringed instrument," and 
the majority of mankind can never see very far 
ahead, but follow in the footsteps of one another. 
The story goes that a calf went wobbling home 
one day feeding and changing about until he 
made a very crooked path, and it was followed 
by a dog, and finally a sheep with its flock, then 
by men who cursed its crooked way, but never 
thought to change it. Finally it became a lane, 



56 

a street, a crowded thoroughfare, and still men 
went on cursing the crooked street, but follow- 
ing the lead of that calf three centuries dead. 
Well, it is so today and, my beloved, you are re- 
peating the words of that preacher who, had he 
asked himself what has Christianity done for 
mankind, and not followed in the footsteps of a 
dead calf, he would have blushed with shame. It 
is true they claim much, but are their claims well 
founded? 

He should have read in Matthew XXIII, IS: 
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo- 
crites ! For ye compass sea and land to make one 
proselite, and when he is made ye make him two- 
fold more the child of hell than yourselves." I 
ask the reader to look at the terrible war being 
waged by (so-called) Christian nations. 

Civilization rises and falls like the tides of the 
ocean. The world has seen a much higher state 
of civilization than we have today. In fact it was 
said, thousands of years ago, "There is nothing 
new under the sun." 

The story of reincarnation is truly as old as the 
history of man, and it has its dark ages just as 
Christianity has had its dark ages, and just as it 
is falling into decay now, so did the reincarnation 
theory have its backward course where we still 
find it; but the tide has now set in again, and it 
will bury modern Christianity so deep it will re- 
quire ages to resurrect it. And why? The an- 
swer is very clear. Modern Christianity has no 
real Christianity in it. Christ taught reincarna- 
tion and equal rights to man. He represented 
the common people, who try to live upright, hon- 






57 



est lives, though they, like Christ, h(ive no pala- 
tial churches and no homes to lay their heads. 

Now go back into history, and note the terrible 
bloody wars, and massacres, under the name of 
the cross. Look to the 60,000 Protestants slain 
by the orders of Bloody Mary, and the 60,000 in- 
nocent Catholics slain by Bloody Elizabeth, and 
tortures by every means that the ingenuity of a 
diabolical mind could conceive of. Go search the 
pages of history and follow the trail of blood, sor- 
row and shame in the track of the cross, and then 
ask the question. Go look at ancient Peru with 
37,000,000 of happy people, not an almshouse or 
prison, a pauper or a criminal, then read care- 
fully the history of the fall of that happy people 
and their destruction by the followers of the 
cross under Pizarro and note Peru has about 7,- 
000,000 of modern, supposed Christians, and keep 
from blushing for so-called Christianity, if you 
can. Then try to be a reformer, yourself, even a 
close follower of Christ, under a new name, and 
see how you will be ostracised, condemned, and 
vilified by these so-called Christians. Then ask 
that question. 

It is true they claim credit for every step of 
progress, but in reality have they not been a dead 
weight on the hands of the true progressionist? 

Was it not their kind that caused Plato to 
drink the poisoned hemlock? 

Did they not murder the beautiful Hypathia, 
the daughter of Euclid the mathematician? Did 
they not burn Bruno, the scholar, at the stake? 
Was it not their class that crucified Christ, and 
the thousands of the early true Christians? Then 



58 



after they got full control of the church, or or- 
ganized followers of Christ, did they not im- 
prison Galleo for declaring the earth moved? Did 
they not oppose the analization of matter, the 
theory of the circulation of the blood? Would 
you have a printing press or a free school today, 
if that class had had their way? Are they not to 
this very hour fighting each other, as well as 
every step of progress, if it is outside the pale of 
their church coverings? If you doubt it, go try 
to further the interests of some real reform or 
new religious idea, and you will soon find out 
where the secret knife is trying to cut the heart 
out of your reputation. Had they the reason of 
a rat they would see their very unfriendly acts 
must react upon themselves. But, "those whom 
the Gods wish to destroy they first make mad." 

I could only say: "Oh, sweetheart, by the 
words of their own mouths ye condemn them." 

I began to condemn all mankind who were ob- 
structing human progress, and I declared they 
ought to be driven from the face of the earth. 
Then I heard my sweetheart's merry laugh and 
felt her pretty hand placed over my mouth as she 
said: "Oh, my loved one, methinks you are a 
proof of the necessity for reincarnation to make 
the Law of Evolution of any value." 

"Why so?" I interrupted. 

"Canst thou not see you cannot teach a dog 
Euclid or a cat grammar?" she replied. Thou 
must be born again before thou canst enter the 

Kingdom of Heaven." 

"Indeed," said I, "Reincarnation must be the 



59 

true meaning of those words, though twisted and 
crooked by mistaken religious zealots." 

I felt my sweetheart's loving kiss as she re- 
plied: "Oh, my beloved, I am so glad you have 
taken another lesson, and while you can hold up 
the mistakes of erring men, you look upon their 
mistakes as an unfinished education and not as 
a crime, demanding their destruction, as one man 
should have as much right to his opinion as an- 
other has to his, for without agitation there is no 
progress. The tree will thrive best that feels the 
pruning hook. The grass grows best that feels 
the sharp-toothed rake. The steel can be bur- 
nished only by friction. The mind of man must 
be agitated with opposition and sometimes by 
affliction before it is ready to receive a new les- 
son in progress. Even the pool of Sylome pos- 
sessed no healing powers until agitated by the an- 
gel and the religious, and reformers of today be- 
come the scum of tomorrow as new ideas of ad- 
vanced thinkers are brought forward by the agi- 
tators of human thought, though the supposed 
dead issues of past ages may become the fertilizer 
of new forms. Anyone who reasons should see 
that God's law of progress depends upon motion 
and agitation for its benefits and power. 

"The cider will work itself clear, but it msut be 
given vent or the barrel will burst. Mother 
Earth will not yield her fruits in abundance ex- 
cept there be agitation and a change of crops." 

It was this way by celestial sweetheart was 
forever teaching me the road to progress and new 
thought and the folly of intolerance. 



60 



CHAPTER XII 
Karmenia Gives Me a Lesson in Natural History 




21. Who knoweth the spirit of man that it goeth upward, and the spirit 
of the beast that goeth downward. 

19. "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one 
thing befalleth them ; as the one dieth, so dieth the other ; yea, they have all 
one breath ; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast ; for all is 
vanity . 

20. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust 
again. Ecleasastious iii : 20-21-22 to 25. 

In the days of my childhood, in frontier towns, 
a dog, a gun and an axe were an inseparable trio, 
in the boy's mind as well as his almost constant 
companions. 

Though there had been no hostility shown by 
the Indians in Michigan since the war with Eng- 
land and their Indian allies in 1812-14, when our 
good government taught them to respect our 
country and our flag, yet there were plenty of 
Indians, wild beast and snakes, for be it remem- 
bered Michigan was a state of swamps and dense 
forests. 

Karmenia had a very odd way of teaching me 
to philosophize upon every blessed thing and to 
show me the good and bad side of everything, 
so odd, in fact, that I often hear her merry laugh 
and see her sweet smile to this day, when I can 
forget the struggle of life long enough. 

My older brother was working on a farm some 
three miles east of my mother's home and had 
sent word to me to bring to him his double barrel 



61 



shot gun, as he wished to join some friends who 
were going out to see an old school teacher, some 
seven miles farther east, and no one would think 
of traveling so far in the woods without carrying 
a gun. 




"WHICH SHALL IT BE, AGNES OR ME?" KARMENIA 

ASKS. 

Taking my own heavy rifle and his gun and 
ammunition, I was on my way by the first bit of 
gray of a November morning. 



62 

As I wandered on directly through the woods, 
my thoughts on Agnes, with a sad tinge, as I 
wondered why I no longer heard the merry laugh 
of my celestial sweetheart. As this thought 
came to me the tears filled my eyes, I staggered 
and sat down upon a log, all alone, I wept for my 
absent loved one, and for a moment Agnes was 
forgotten, when I heard Karmenia's merry laugh 
and for a moment I saw her blended with Agnes, 
stand before me, when she said, 44 0h! sweet- 
heart, which shall it be, Agnes or me?" At that 
instant I understood why a man cannot serve 
God and mammom at one and the same time, and 
why he who tries to make two blades of grass 
grow where one grew before, can never become a 
millionaire, and why a millionaire gains his mil- 
lions from the labors of he who increases the 
blades of grass. When my mind was strongest 
for Agnes, of course Karmenia disappeared and 
when strongest for Karmenia, Agness vanished. 
However, Karmenia was disposed to give me a 
more vivid illustration. 

As I pulled myself together after my forest vis- 
ion, the distant bay of hounds broke upon my ear, 
and at the same time the steady blows of a wood- 
man's axe echoed through the forest. As the 
wood chopper was exactly on my course I 
reached him after a short walk. As I came up 
to him I found, as I supposed, a neighbor boy 
chopping on his father's farm. Naturally I 
stopped for a moment's chat, and as I did so a 
wild deer burst through the forest with great 
speed and with the hounds in close pursuit. I 
seized my gun, which I had set down for a mo- 



63 



ment, and sprang forward. to shoot, but the sav- 
ageness of the hounds attracted my attention 
more than the deer, and I drove them off with 
fierce commands and clubs, dropping my gun as 
I did so, at the same time my compnion was 
shouting, "Shoot it." I turned toward my com- 
panion and as I turned I noticed the tired deer 
walk deliberately up and place its head in his 
arms. William Metcalf, for that was my com- 
panion's name, had got a large jack knife out of 
his pocket and was trying to open it, when I 
cried: 

"What are you going to do?" 

He replied: "I am going to cut its throat." 

He had his knife open when I sprang forward 
and caught his hand, crying, "Don"t, don't, 
don't." 

I took the poor, tired, trembling deer's head in 
my own arms, and said : "Are you not ashamed 
to kill this poor animal who has come to your for 
protection?" 

Said he: "What are you going to do with it? 
It is a wild deer; you can't keep it. It is of no 
value if you do, while the body is worth a couple 
of dollars, and the hide one and a half more." 

Here was a problem. I must hasten away. I 
could not take the deer with me. If I let it go it 
was liable to be shot before night by some other 
hunter. Finally I said: "Billie, I will coax 
these hounds with me and you let the deer feed 
on the brouse (that is on the tender twigs of the 
fallen trees), which the deer had already begun 
to do, and I will pay you the three dollars and a 
half he would bring." 



64 

Three dollars and a half was a great deal of 
money for a poor boy. William agreed and I 
paid it the next summer in hoeing corn, that is 
my part of it, for William said it belonged to me 
as much as to him. 

I asked him what became of the deer and he 
said it broused around all day and finally disap- 
peared. 

Let those who fancy this story is a nature fake, 
such stuff as we often hear nowadays, ask any old 
frontiersman if a deer, too hard pressed by 
hounds, will not deliberately place himself in 
man's hands, too often to find it is misplaced con- 
fidence. 

I pursued my way, and Karmenia seemed 
walking beside me, joyfully praising my act. 

I began to severely condemn the selfishness of 
man, when Karmenia quoted to me: "Do not 
condemn the mote in thy brother's eye until thou 
hast plucked the beam from thine own eye. ,, 

I angrily cried, "Karmenia, where have I ever 
been so ungrateful?" 

Said Karmenia: "Just smooth your ruffled 
feathers and remember, last summer, or early fall, 
when on the banks of the big marsh, while walk- 
ing along you heard the familiar sound of the. 
rattles of an American rattlesnake. Upon look- 
ing down at your feet you saw a snake of brilliant 
colors, coiled and ready to strike, but springing 
his rattles with all of the power he could. You 
retreated out of his way, then dropped your gun 
to an aim and fired, blowing the poor snake's' 
head off. Which was the most God-like, you or 
the snake. 



65 



"The snake with unusual effort warned you, 
when he could have bitten, and you, ungrateful 
boy, took his life and without warning, and you 
had a thousand times more power than he did. 

You could have walked away and given him 
his life and no harm done/' 

"Oh," said I, "Karmenia, that was only a rat- 
tlesnake." 

"Yes," said Karmenia, "but it was one of God's 
creatures, from whom every American can take 
a lesson, for he is superior to all beasts, birds or 
reptiles, for that purpose, yes and even to most 
men." 

"Oh, ho, ho, ho, Karmenia," I cried, "how can 
that be? Learn morals from a snake." 

Said Karmenia: "Repeat the most patriotic 
words or lines you can think of." 

At once the motto of Thomas Jefferson came 
to my mind, and I repeated — "Eternal vigilance 
is the price of liberty." 

"Exactly," said Karmenia. "Yet, to many 
men, who recite it frequently, it is a mere plati- 
tude. They can only see a danger of the flag 
when it is dragged in the mud, while a smiling, 
silk-hatted politician, or a kid-gloved clergyman 
can do more harm, and is often more dangerous 
to the liberties of the people and to the principles 
our flag stands for than ten thousand ignorant 
ruffians who would drag our beautiful emblem in 
the mire. The insidious foes of our country are 
not so much the slum of society, as the hypocrit- 
ical part of the higher classes. The polished 
scoundrels who carry their diabolical schemes 
under a covert smile, or like Judas Iscariot betray 



66 

you with a kiss, or a prayer, are a thousand fold 
more dangerous. 

Tf this were not so, the Bible in Ephesians VI- 
12 would not have said: "For we wrestle not 
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, 
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 
against spiritual wickedness in high lpaces." 

Nor wuold the following oath be administered 
to the justices of our supreme courts: 

"I (repeating his own name) do solemnly 
swear that I will administer justice, without re- 
spect to persons, and do equal justice to the poor 
and to the rich." 

All the way through history since the Jewish 
judges sold themselves for filthy lucre, some 
judges have been known to accept filthy lucre, 
and Alfred the Great of England hung 72 of them 
because they attempted to usurp the power to 
annul the right of trial by jury. 

"The rattlesnake is purely American, he has 
no eyelids, he never sleeps, and he never takes 
advantage of an enemy, he will warn before he 
will strike. 

"The first American flag was made up with 
stripes and the picture of a rattlesnake, and bear- 
ing these words: 'Don't tread on me.' 

"The colonies were very religious, and all men 
have been prejudiced against a snake because of 
the story of the serpent in the garden of Eden. 
But if that story is true, if it were not for that 
snake mankind would still be remaining in that 
garden without brains enough to know the dif- 
ference between good and evil. In fact, if they 
had not partaken of the tree of knowledge they 



67 



would never have known enugh to know they 
were naked, and some of the preachers of today 
seem to be trying, with all their might, to keep 
them naked, or from knowing the truth. Oh, 
my beloved, what a pity the people do not exer- 
cise a little rattlesnake sense, and exercise that 
'Eternal vigilance which is the price of liberty.' 
Perhaps they will do as the rattlesnake does, if 
he finds he has become remiss, when surrounded 
by a mat of sharp leaves, by a certain bird of 
prey, and he sees no escape, he becomes furious, 
and bites himself." Let me add. 

The people should also take w r arning from this 
and become more watchful of birds of prey, 
who will trap them with party and creed, show- 
ing that such intense fury as displayed by both 
sides, as during our great rebellion, is apt to 
cause the death of the nation, so again we resem- 
ble the rattlesnake. To be ccntfe'red. 





JHEftA6<3Fl§lZ- 

AFT£B JULY * 

Old glory 




CHAPTER XIII. 

KARMENIA, THE SPIRIT, OETEN HELPS 
ME IN MANY WAYS. 

" 'Tis not enough, your counsel still be true; 
Blunt truth more mischief than nice falsehoods do; 

Here I asked Karmenia how it was our beau- 
tiful stars and stripes became our emblem instead 
of the less attractive but more illustrative banner 
of the snake? 

"Oh, no, no," said Karmenia. "It is not less 
illustrative, but more illustrative because our 
banner is really a direct gift of God." 

"How is that?" I asked. 

"Well," said Karmenia, "first you must remem- 
ber evolution is a truth, and everything is very 
closely destined, or subject to guidance as I am 
giving you. Allowing a very small margin of 
free moral agency, which is exercised only to a 
limited degree. Though man generally thinks 
he is the whole thing. You see it was for the 
noble purpose I guided the deer to you this morn- 
ing. First to give you a lesson in Godly mercy 
and justice and secondly to save the life of the 
deer for a later period." 



69 



"Ho, ho, ho," said I. "Karmenia, please trace 
that destiny back and if you go far enough the 
lives of the dogs were destined, the life of the 
deer, and his generations, the lives of myself and 
William, and our parents and generations, back- 
ward, backward, backward and forward to the 
end, if there is an end. Then what can man be 
blamed for?" 

"That is true," said Karmenia, "except in a 
natural way. If we are careless in the presence 
of an enemy we must pay the penalty for that 
carelessness. If victorious, we gain the rewards 
for our vigilance. But we cannot discuss those 
things here." 

She continued : "The fleeing religious denomi- 
nations to this country is clearly portrayed in 
Bible prophesies. That book being Astrological. 
This shows our forefathers were under God's 
guidance, as you are personally directed by me. 
As they were praying earnestly for their success, 
they asked for a flag, an emblem of liberty, for 




a 

o 
U 






70 

which they fled to. this country. Their contin- 
ual prayer was that vigilance which was drawing 
elements of kind to them. Thus they were un- 
consciously aiding in making destiny. 

"Remember there were twelve sons of Ishmael, 
twelve princes, representing twelve countries or 
cities. " 

Let me call the reader's attention to the fact 
that in 1776 at the birth of our nation there were 
12 states, not 13, as Rhode Island was never 
recognized by England as a colony, and did not 
join the colonies until two years after the war 
began. 

At our second war with England our flag had 
twenty-four stars. 

When our great Rebellion was on we had thirty- 
six stars, now with danger of a great conspiracy 
we have forty-eight stars. But this subject is 
treated of more fully in my "What is Coming !" 

Jacob had twelve sons, representing twelve 
tribes. There are twelve signs of the Zodiac. 
Twelve is a prophetic number. There are twelve 
apostles, one of them was a traitor, but destined 
so. Remember Revelation XII-1. "And there 
appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman 
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her 
feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." 
V. 2 "And she being with child cried, travailing 
in birth, and pained to be delivered. " Remem- 
ber the church is symbolized by a woman. Christ 
speaks of his bride. In the case of this descrip- 
tion, freedom of thought was the child religious 
liberty was seeking to be delivered of. She was 
clothed with the sun. Engand, the most power- 



71 

fill nation, claimed all of the colonies, though 
some were settled by the Dutch and some by the 
French, and in 1716 she sent twelve agents or 
councils to claim the colonies and settle the af- 
fairs of the colonies. France, the next great na- 
tion, was the moon under her feet that supported 
the woman when the man child was born. 

This republic of freedom is the man child so 
called because we have never been permitted to 
take a foot of ground without paying for it. 
While Daniel calls the nations beasts of prey. 
(See my great book, "What is Coming." 

The stars on the woman's' head are the twelve 
colonies. 

Remember there were at first but twelve colo- 
nies, but twelve signers of the Decalaration of In- 
dependece, eleven Protestants, one Catholic. The 
thirteenth colony did not come in at first. Re- 
member all of these came from the mother 
church, seeking more liberty, yet the Catholic 
colony of Baltimore, though it seceded at first, it 
returned to the mother church, which demands 
of her members allegiance to the church before 
that of any country, or any flag, thus this colony 
went back, became the Judas Iscariot. 

"Stop," said I. "Sweetheart, is this anything 
against the Catholic religion or people? For if 
it is I don ot want to hear it." (Too well I re- 
membered at my father's death, though he was 
a Free Mason, and we needed help, it was neither 
the Masons or Protestants that took the initia- 
tive, and stirred up the people to help my father's 
family, who had been left destitute by his own 
generosity in helping others. Dr. Aylward, a 



72 



French Catholic, was the first to come to the 
rescue.) I found in after life as much honesty 
and more generosity among Catholics than 
among any of the other churches. I am not a 
Catholic, but I believe in justice, and in giving 
just credit to all. 

"No," said Karmenia. "And you will find 
much to commend and much to condemn among 
Catholics as well as you will everywhere else. 
But the colonial defenders demanded the flag 
should bear but twelve stars, representing the 
twelve apostles, and the additional star was an 
after consideration. The first flag that was flung 
to the breeze by the immortal Paul Jones bore no 
stars. Now remember the first great aim of this 
country was religious liberty, and second equal- 
ity of man, and his rights to 'Life, Liberty and 
the pursuit of happiness." 

"Well," said I, "give me the symbolization." 

"Can you not see it?" asked Karmenia. "There 
were twelve colonies of different religious beliefs, 
and some free thinkers like Thomas Paine, Ben- 
jamin Frankin and Thomas Jefferson, yet the 
blue field represents the blue sky of God's heav- 
ens, that extends its canopy over all alike. The 
stripes represent the stripes the vigilant must 
expect who stand up for equality and liberty. 
The white represents that purity of mind and 
character that all should aim for. The red stripes 
denote the red blood that flows in all men's' veins 
alike and gives all an equality before the law." 

Here she stopped and I asked: "Sweetheart, 
what about the strs?" 



73 

"Oh, yes," said she, "there were but twelve 
strrs, but there was added another and another, 
and it will continue until there is no more terri- 
tory on this continent, and until the principles of 
freedoom and justice extend to every part of the 
globe, and are covered by God's' blue heavens and 
lit by his beautiful stars." 

Let me add here : 

It is a strange coincident that this country 
started with twelve stars. 

At our war with England we had twenty-four. 

At the time of the rebellion in our great dan- 
ger, our flag had thirty-six stars. But we sur- 
vived it. 

Our flag now has forty-eight and some think 
the greatest danger to our country we ever had, 
some say Washington's vision foretold this great 
danger, and that we would reach sixty stars and 
the end of civilization. 

After Rhode Island joined us her flag was used 
where the double cross of St. George and St. An- 
drew was in the corner of the flag of stripes. 

The flag of Rhode Island was a blue field with 
twelve white stars, and the infant Jesus standing 
with outstretched arms. This figure was re- 
moved and another star and another stripe added 
and we have the flag that grew to the present. 

I asked: "Dear sweetheart, is there anything 
more about the rattlesnake?" 

"Oh, yes," she cried. "Do you not remember 
once when you saw a mighty rattlesnake coiled 
ready to strike and a much smaller black snake 
gliding round and round him with almost light- 
ning speed, until the generous rattler who warns 



74 



before he strikes became bewildered, and then 
the black snake darted in and wound himself 
around the rattler's body and crushed him to 
death. Now, which do you think you had rather 
trust — the rattler who would warn you, or the 
slimy, slick, gliding, bewlidering black snake 
which darts in around your throat and strangles 
you? Again I say look out for that class of men, 
who tell you there is no danger while they steal 
your liberties with a smile, and after bewildering 
dart in and strangle you?" 

"One word more, sweetheart," said I. 

"Yes, go on," said she. 

"Do you believe all men are are born equal?" 

"Do you believe because a railroad cannot be 
built without an engineer and a mule, that the en- 
gineer whose gentlemanly tastes and refinement 
needs more of the products of labor and nature 
than the mule requires, should not receive more 
for his labor or should be compelled to bring the 
mule into his residence, thus marring his life and 
happiness, or should he sink himself and family 
to the level of the mule, and if not to the mule 
why to that class of men who persist in living but 
a little above the mule?" 

"Oh, no, no," said my sweetheart. "Neither 
is it right for the engineer to use his superior 
power to steal the oats from the mule or to de- 
prive the mule of the rights of training and of his 
ambtions to reach a higher plain, if he has them." 

Just notice the wild beasts, birds and reptiles, 
who devour each other; they never kill for mere 
pleasure; they kill only enough for their present 
wants, and if there be more than thev want thev 



give it up to anything that comes along. It is 
not so with man; he is never satisfied. If he was 
only satisfied with the lion's share, he could be 
excused; but no, he must use the inanimate 
wealth he has gained to rob somebody else of 
his earnings, and when asked to return a small 
portion, in income tax, or even his just share of 
taxation, he objects and fights it as long as he 
can, and when the people condemn it, they are 
met with the declaration that they are opposed 
to wealthy people, whereas they only want jus- 
tice. Notice the illustration of a span of horses, 
one large, one small, the large walking with ease, 
the small tugging with all his might. How quick 
you would say to the driver: "You inhuman 
brute, give that small horse the long end of that 
evener, and make the large horse pull his share 
of the load." But it is not so with your fellow 
man; you make the small man pull the heavy part 
of the load, and give the big man the long end 
of the evener by permitting him to use his inani- 
mate property to breed wealth, or as a means to 
get more than properly belongs to the big man. 
Of course the big horse needs a bigger stall, 
more bedding and more food, and takes more 
labor for his care than does the small horse. But 
it is not the needs of either the leaders of society 
or the workmen that will bring a struggle that, 
without the intervention of God, will destroy 
not only our country, but the civilization of the 
world, and the rich men will go down with their 
riches along with the blind Sampson who would 
pull the pillars of the false system down with 
them. Would to God they could see it before it 
is too late. 



76 



Look back to ancient Carthage, when Hanni- 
bal was compelled to impeach the whole bunch 
of judges for their corruption. They whined as 
if they were losing what really belonged to them, 
says Roland's History. 

(I thought until long after the great rebellion 
that Karmenia referred to the great war, alone, 
but long afterward I was awakened from that sad 
mistake.) 

My reverie was broken by the sudden disap- 
pearance of Karmenia as we came out of the 
woods in the clearing front of Mr. Chambers' 
house where my brother worked. 

My brother stood looking down the road ex- 
pecting to see me coming down the road when I 
came out of the woods behind him so still he did 
not notice me until I touched him with the muz- 
zle of one of the guns, and then he turned quickly 
and said, in a half humorous, half frightened 
way, "You darned Indian, you frighten the life 
out of a fellow." 

The other young men came out from behind 
the house and hollered, "Can't you see him com- 
ing yet?" 

They caught sight of me, and we had a merry 
laugh, when they all gathered up their guns and 
ammunition and we plunged into the woods to- 
gether, for our course, for one mile, led in the 
same direction. 

The woods were full of squirrels and several 
were shot, for no other purpose than to show the 
marksmanship of the hunter. In fact, all yielded 
the palm to me, as with my heavy rifle with globe 
sights came to my shoulder, some one of the boys 



77 



would say, "Another poor squirrel's death." Yet 
I always took chances on very long shots, partly 
from impulse and partly through pride of 'my 
marksmanship. 

I was bending over a beautiful squirrel, which 
was gasping for breath, and seeming to try to 
tell rrie something, when I involuntarily said: 
"Oh, poor thing, my pleasure is in taking your 
life. I will not kill another squirrel. ,, 

Charles Stone, one of the young men standing 
near, said: "That is funny for you, and blessed 
if you are not crying." 

The other boys came up and he told them of 
my soft-heartedness, as he called it. 

I then related my strange experience of the 
morning, and all about my vivid rambling 
thoughts, but never mentioned Karmenia, of 
course. When I told them about the strange ac- 
tions of the deer, they all said that was nothing 
uncommon for a deer to do when pressed by the 
dogs, but that I should agree to pay for it, to give 
it its liberty, seemed to them very strange and 
foolish. 

By the time we reached our point of separation 
and they went on their way, they went over to 
the road, and kept out of the woods, determined 
they woudl not kill a thing that day, and they did 
not; but as my brother afterward told me, they 
lugged their guns all day and talked of the su- 
perior cruelty of man, even to his inhumanity to 
one another, and yet of his boasted superiority. 

As soon as I left my friends, who I seemed glad 
to get rid of, I dropped into a sad reverie, when 
I felt Karmenia's presence and saw her pretty 



78 



face peeping over my shoulder and heard her 
sweet voice as she said, "Come, sweetheart, put 




KARMENIA'S PRETTY FACE OFTEN APPEARED OVER 
MY SHOULDER. 

away your sad feelings and let us talk of the fu- 
ture." We wandered on talking until near home, 
and she said, "You are tired, dear; let us sit down 
for a while," and I sat down on a convenient log 
with my loved one beside me. When at once I 
lost consciousness of my surroundings and yet I 



79 



was bending over that poor squirrel trying to un- 
derstand what he was saying to me. The whole 
scene changed and I saw a mighty stage on which 
a troop of actors were choosing their respective 
parts. 

The whole mighty troop of actors loved each 
other and would never harm one another for a 
world, and it seemed the love between Karmenia 
and myself was so great I could not bear to be 
separated from her, so she said: "Sweetheart, I 
will be your prompter and then I can be always 
with you." 

The stage manager stepped forward and said: 
"My loved ones, you know as well as I do, the 
object of our great drama of life is that we may 
enjoy more because we know more. Thus the 
plot of our play in a measure becomes your des- 
tiny, and the earnestness with which you put into 
action trying to make your parts perfect", at the 
same time helping each other, giving joy and les- 
sening pain, and making the work as light as 
possible, sometimes even changing the course of 
a following scene, will bring a reward of love and 
a less painful and more beautiful part in the next 
act you are called upon to play, as well as a step 
higher in the drama/' 

A loved brother came to me and asked, "Dear 
brother, why did you choose such a long, hard 
part, so early in the play?" 

I replied: "Dear brother, I need the lesson. For 
my own pleasures in the last act caused so much 
pain and sorrow, I must suffer now as an atone- 
ment for my carelessness and folly, that I may 
not have to go back to a small part again." An- 



80 



other loved brother came forward, and though an 
actor as old as any of us, he was new in this 
drama and was taking a minor part, in which he 
came on and went off from the stage frequently. 
As he threw his arms around my neck, he cried, 
"Oh, don't mind it, brother, don't mind it; you 
acted your part well, and it mattered not whether 
you blew my head off or my head was plucked off 
by brother Asay who takes the part of an eagle, 
which would have occurred a moment afterward, 
or whether it was your rifle that brought me out 
of the tree, this very morning, or whether it was 
the shotgun of one of your companions, except 
your bullet was much quicked and less painful 
than the mangling of my little body the shot 
would have caused." 

"Oh, God!" said I. "Sweetheart, he speaks of 
the rattler he personified, of whom I shot after 
warning me, and of the poor little innocent squir- 
rel he personified which I shot this morning for 
my pleasure, and not of the debt I am trying to 
cancel, which I incurred in the last act of life." 

Sweetheart sprang to my side and tried to 
soothe me, for I was much agitated, as she asked, 
"Dear loved one, do oyu not remember, without 
pain, we could not enjoy pleasure; this is the true 
tree of knowldge of good and evil." 

Said I, "Sweetheart, do you mean to say I 
must cause pain?" 

"Oh, No! No!" said she. "But—" just then a 
loved sister came in. I cried, "Why, Pet, where 
did you come from?" 

Said she: "You know that we who take the 
vegetable and animal parts make our entrance 



81 

and our exits on the stage of world life many- 
more times than you who take the two extremes, 
the mineral and the man. This earth morning 
when you saved my life you never dreamed I 
recognized you, but had to play my part and put 
my head in brother Billie's arms. Yet I enjoyed 
the rest you gave me. I was released from the 
more painful death by the dogs. It also tested 
Billie's powers, who was tempted to steal 
upon me and cut my throat and thus get the price 
of my poor body, at the same time exacting the 
pay you promised, but he withstood the tempta- 
tion and I lingered in his presence long afternoon 
and was shot by brother Joe Wells who is taking 
the part of the farmer hunter Joe Wells near your 
earthly home, for of course you know I have got 
to act several animal parts in the great drama 
of war about to take place. " , 

"Oh, my, my," said I. "I can now see why we 
do not remember in earth life our former plays 
and acts, for if we did we would never play our 
parts, and so we would never go through our 
parts properly, for not one of us would ever blame 
another, or give cause for a bit of pain, and yet 
what a beautiful reward for our efforts to please 
one another and to avoid causing pain and suf- 
fering." 

"Yes," said sweetheart. "And I am glad you 
do not take it so hard, for I feel my part in awak- 
ening your consciousness of wrongdoing is caus- 
ing undue suffering." 

"No ! No ! loved one," said I, "you increase my 
vigilance and my reward, but poor brother here 
who played, so nobly, such a small part as a warn- 



82 



ing rattlesnake, and I the part of a man, to fall 
lower than brother's very small part of a warn- 
ing snake, makes me shudder. Nor is this all; 
look how often I have through pure hatred for 
the thistle which pricked my bare feet, with a 
stick cut the blossoms off just to see them go fly- 
ing through the air. True when I hoed the this- 
tles out of the corn there was a necessity, but 
when I held hatred against the thistle for protect- 
ing itself, I was hindering one of my loved broth- 
ers or sisters from making progress in their 
minor parts." 

"Oh, sweetheart, " sai dKarmenia, "what would 
your earthly companions say if they heard you 
defending the rights of the rattlesnake and a 
thistle?" 

I replied: "I do not care what they would say, 
for they do not know that in the humble form 
of a snake and thistle a loved brother is playing 
an important part in father's great drama of life." 

Our brother, seeing I still felt very bad, ap- 
proached me and said: "Dear brother, do not 
worry about that, for everything is good in fath- 
er's workshop. I was afraid 1 overdid my part 
in warning you that you recognized me in my 
humble part, and it would hinder you from play- 
ing your part as you should." 

"Oh, yes," I replied, "and it makes my care- 
less playing so much more glaring." 

"Well, said the brother, "I shall not come into 
your part again for many earthly years, and 
you will have a sad part to perform. You will 
be conducting business and have a lot of expen- 
sive picture frames flat on the floor. I will take 



83 

the part of a rat seeking food, and I will fall into 
the frames, not being able to get out, in my wild 
efforts, I will gnaw the frames and destroy many 
dollars' worth of wealth. When you behold this 
your selfishness and anger will get the better of 
you and you will seek my life. As it is impossible 
for me to escape, I will sit up, putting my fore- 
paws together in the act of prayer, and beg for 
my life; but your anger will get the better of you, 
and you will take my life, and then be sorry for 
it later on, unless you advance fast enough to 
overcome your temper and then raise the corner 
of the frames and let me escape. This plan or act 
of the drama is why the future can be foretold, 
and the small portion we can overcome is the rea- 
son for the variations in the foretelling of the fu- 
ture by a perfect clairvoyant on the one hand and 
an imperfect one on the other." 

These scenes were too much for me and I burst 
into tears and sweetheart was trying to quiet me. 
She sat beside me with her arms around me and 
was saying, "Wake up, wake up, you have been 
here too long." 

I awoke and a hunter was sitting beside me on 
the log, with his arms around me and his eyes 
were filled with tears, while I was blubbering like 
a baby. He was saying, "Poor boy, you must be 
very tired to sleep like that, alone in the woods. 
Are you lost? How long have you been out in 
the woods ?" 

"Where is sweetheart?" I cried. 

"Who is sweetheart?" he asked. 

That awoke me to my senses and then I no- 
ticed the carcass of a deer close by. "Did you 
shoot that?" I askd. 



84 



"Yes; why do you ask?" he inquired. 

I then told him my whole day's experience in- 
cluding the vision. He called it a dream. 

Said I: "You have shot our sister whose life I 
saved this morning." 

"Poor boy," said he, "your fatigue has been too 
much for you; but you will be all right in a little 
while, and you shall have a quarter of the venison 
to take home." 

"No! No! No!" I cried, "I could not eat a 
mouthful of it." And I lost control of my feel- 
ings again. 

Mr. Wells often laughed at me after that and 
when he heard I had enlisted for the war, he 
shook his head and said, "Poor boy, he will never 
have the heart to shoot a man, unless it is in ac- 
tion where he does not see him, individually." 
* * * 

Here are a few footnotes to this chapter. 

It is over 59 years since I shot that rattlesnake 
and killed that squirrel, and to this day I regret it. 

Now for the story of the rat and later on I will 
tell some stranger rat stories. All true. 

In 1878 I had been stumping the state of Mich- 
igan for the old Greenback Party, and in Febru- 
ary, 1879, I opened up an installment business, 
selling books, pictures and looking glasses on in- 
stallments. I moved from a downtown office in- 
to a store at 121 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, Mich. 

In the fall of 1882 I accepted candidacy for 
representative in the U. S. Congress, same party. 
My capital was very small and I had to work 
very hard, making many of my frames and 
brackets with my own hands and often helping 



85 

a boy out with collections. To assist me in this 
work of collecting, I used an old steel tire wood- 
en wheel velocipede. 

John H. was one of the best hearted Irishmen 
that ever lived. He was chairman of the county 
committee and he came to me and said, "Stowe, 
some of your friends have requested me to ask 
you to leave that thing out until after election," 
meaning my old wheel. The safety bicycle was 
not yet invented, though a few of the high, im- 
practical bicycles were in use. 

I replied to the chairman: "J onn > you tell my 
friends, if they are such, if they are ashamed of 
me to take my name off from the ticket, for we 
are working for the masses and not particularly 
for aristocracy, for by the eternals, if I am elected 
I will ride that thing up Pennsylvania Ave. in 
Washington, D. C. I am sacrificing enough in 
time and money for a cause of which I can be 
nothing but a figurehead, for I am more liable to 
be struck by lightning than to be elected against 
such odds. But you and they will live to see an 
improvement on that thins:, as you call it, used in 
Detroit to the value of millions of dollars. " (And 
my prophecy came true. I relate this to show 
the reader how preoccupied my mind was.) 

Late one afternoon I had a lot of valuable pic- 
ture frames come in and I ordered them taken 
into the stockroom and forgot them until next 
morning, when, passing through the stockroom, 
I heard a rattling in the frames, I looked over and 
there was a rat. He could not escape and had 
gnawed all around the edges of the frames, spoil- 
ing many dollars' worth of the frames. Of course 



86 



I became excited and procured a stick to kill the 
rat. When he saw the inevitable end he sat up 
exactly like a person in supplication to a higher 
being for his life. But my passions were aroused 
and I did not heed him, and for nearly 30 years 
have lived to regret it, and to be more careful 
about letting my temper get the best of me, and 
to be more merciful and broader minded, so my 
friends, you can see how a rat or a rattlesnake 
may teach proud, selfish man a lesson. 

This story of the snake called to mind an amus- 
ing story of war times. 

When our cavalry forces were on a raiding ex- 
pedition, they could not carry the captured pris- 
oners with them, nor could they shoot a man who 
had laid down his arms, so they would do what 
they called "swearing them in," that is, causing 
them to take an oath they would not take up arms 
until properly exchanged. Finally, a large rat- 
tlesnake warned one of the boys, who got out of 
his way, and he was about to shoot' him, when 
grateful, kind-hearted Long Bob Rogers said, 
"Hold on there, Billy, that snake warned you, 
and I'll be blamed if I shall let you kill him." 

"Then he'll bite some of the other boys," said 
the sergeant. 

"Oh, well," drawled Bob, "sewar him in and 
let him go." 

Bob never lost the nickname of "Rattlesnake 
Bob." 

This very morning, and since the above was 
written, I read in a description of a surveyor's 
hardships and of the dangerous places, especially 
dangerous from reptiles, a surveyor is compelled 



87 

to visit, yet not one of them was ever bitten by a 
rattlesnake, which they call the "gentleman rep- 
tile/' as several other kinds of reptiles have no 
such means of warning, yet they often imitate 
the rattler by making a buzzing sound among the 
dry leaves, with the tail. 

My mother complained she had no currants for 
several years, on account of worms. "And now," 
said she, "there is a big garter snake among the 
bushes. I wish you would kill it, for it often 
frightens mo when it comes out of the cucumber 
vines." This was after I came home from the 
war. "No," said I, "Mother, let the snake alone; 
harmless he is, and you will have a good crop of 
vegetables and currants." 

I called the snake Jack and he became quite 
tame, and we had a fine garden and plenty of cur- 
rants for the first time in years. 

"Said my mother, 'After three yea r s of killing 
you have become wonderfully merciful, to pro- 
tect a snake/ " 

"Yes, mother," said I, "and if farmers will 
learn to protect harmless snakes they will have 
better crops." 




88 



CHAPTER XIV. 
KARMENIA AND MY WAR EXPERIENCE. 

"Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green, 
That hosts with their banners at sunrise were seen ; 
Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath flown, 
That host on the morrow lay withered and strewn." 

—LORD BYRON. 



Reasons why the following historical and philosophical mat- 
ter is put in 8-point type is to keep them separate from the nar- 
rative proper. 




Karmenia Shows Me Why War Is Necessary. 

As before stated, like nearly all boys, I was fond of a dog 
and a gun, and before the war I did much hunting and trapping; 
and I must say my conscience often smote me for wantonly kill- 
ing the helpless creatures. 



89 



I could never refrain from looking at the dying fawn or 
squirrel, and wonder if they too did not have souls if I had one. 

Karmenia was always calling my attention to such things, 
until time and time again I promised I would kill no more, and 
then the war broke out, and I enlisted against Karmenia's wishes, 
for that meant a profeession of taking life, and that, too, the lives 
of my fellow men. But I was so patriotic I suppressed the awful 
feeling and ignored Karmenia's impressive warning, though she 
told me I would pay for it in a terrible retribution, if I did not 
lose my own life by violence, as "He who lives by the sword 
must perish by the sword." 

Since I have become an Astrologer, I see it seems to be my 
destiny, as at my birth Mars, the God of War, was in the malig- 
nant sign Scorpio, Heliocentrically, and in the war sign Sagit- 
tarius, Geocentrically, and' Saturn in the house of death, de- 
noting a violent or a painful death, caused by war. As I have 
been a sufferer from such effects ever since the war, it is evident 
I must die from those effects. 

My occult experience was renewed almost immediately after 
reaching the seat of war. 

We were first sworn into the state's service for three months 
and then the government demanded an enlistment for three 
years, or our disbandment. Nobody thought the war could last 
more than three months; consequently when someone read to 
us a strange prophecy, supposed to be a vision that came to 
General Washington at Valley Forge, claiming the war would 
last four years, we were much exorcised, and naturally enough 
tried to laugh it down as a mere newspaper sensation. Yet it 
made so strong an impression that Karmenia came to me and 
told me I had better try to remember it. She need not have 
cautioned me to do so, for I never could forget it. 

We had all hoped as well as believed our trip would be one 
of sightseeing and strange and not unpleasant experiences; not- 
withstanding we were ready and willing to do our duty if the 
opposite was-the result. 

The reading of Washington's vision took place a few days 
before the first battle of Bull Run, in which we participated. 

I, of course, with everybody else, had expected a short 
struggle, and then to be able to return home. But Karmenia 
told me no, the war would last four years, that the story of 
Washington's vision was a true one, and that very many of my 
comrades would never see their homes again. 

How strange it is, men who go to war seldom think it is 
they who will be killed; they always seem to think it is the 
other fellow. If they did not think so there would not be so 
many willing to go to war. 

In consequence of my hearing of Washington's vision so 
long ago, and of witnessing how truthfully it has been fulfilled 
so far, and having so much testimony that it will finally be ful- 
filled to the letter corroborated by my own vision, I reproduce 



90 

it here, believing it will be of great interest to the reader, even 
though he may have seen it before. 

My story would not be complete, however, if I did not dis- 
pose of a character brought in so prominently as my school- 
mate sweetheart, Agnes. 

Ha, ha, ha! To be in love so deeply that I could walk from 
my mother's house two miles on a cold winter's night just to 
see Agnes through a window, too bashful to enter the house, as 
I was not acquainted with her parents, and then to let a girl 
masquerading in men's clothing cut me out and rob me of my 
sweetheart. Did such a thing ever happen before or since? 

In the latter part of the '50's there lived, up in Nova Scotia, 
a farmer by the name of Edmonds. Mr. Edmonds' family con- 
sisted of wife and two girls. In those days of hard work and 
little money, the girls had to do men's work on the farm. Miss 
Emma Edmonds, a mere child, detested this, and to make mat- 
ters worse, her father determined she should marry a wealthy 
old bachelor, three times her age. 

Once Emma got hold of a novel, which told of a young girl 
who to escape such a calamity put on her brother's clothes and 
went to sea, and finally married her true sweetheart. Emma 
determined to do likewise, except Emma had no sweetheart. 

She got hold of a book canvasser's outfit and determined to 
become a book agent. 

A neighbor boy by the name of Seeley loved Emma, but his 
love was not returned; yet he held Emma's confidence enough 
to furnish her his best suit of clothes to run away with. 

The marriage supper was on the table, and all awaiting the 
bride to dress and come in to the marriage ceremony and wed- 
ding feast, and so far as Emma is concerned they are waiting 
yet, though it is nearly 60 years since that event. 

We now lose Emma Edmonds and introduce Frank Thomp- 
son, the boy book agent. 

Frank was very successful and finally appeared at the 
agency in Cincinnati, where a choice of territory brought Frank 
up to Flint, Mich. 

Frank put up at the Northern Hotel, the home of my sweet- 
heart Agnes. It soon became known that Frank Thompson was 
a very fortunate young man, making $25 to $35 a weeke. This 
in the days of scare money and low wages was indeed a wonder. 

I, a poor boy working on the farm for $8 per month, could 
not hope to compete with the book agent. 

Frank took my sweetheart out for a carriage ride three 
times a week. I would not stand in the way of my little sweet- 
heart's success, nor could I call Karmenia to me any more. This 
helped to drive me to enlist. 

When my company at Detroit had to disband and re-enlist 
for three years, the regiment had to be filled up, and among the 
newly-enlisted men . came Frank Thompson and a Methodist 
preacher, 7 feet tall, of broad and flat build, and a foot — Ye 
Gods, it was bigger than the knapsack he wore! 



91 



It was very hard for Frank to get clothes to fit him and 
shoes to fit those dainty little feet, which looked so very small 
in comparison with the monster pedal extremities of the 
preacher, whose company Frank seemed to like. This caused a 
few of the wise ones to hint "Frank Thompson is a woman, and 
a sweetheart of the preacher." 

Frank was so religious nobody dared say a word to him, 
but after the battle of Bull Run the minister fell from grace and 
swore like a trooper, so Franak cut his acquaintance. 

One day Frank came to my tent. I had never spoken to 
him, and I was surprised to see him in my tent, for I am six feet 
tall and Frank belonged to the foot of the company, and the 
preacher had a tent of his own. 

I asked Frank what he wanted, and his reply was: "You 
loved Agnes Gibson and she loved you." 

I replied: "Yes, but you cut me out." 

"No," said Frank, "I did not cut you out." Continuing: "If 
you knew all! Agnes loved you, and I feel grieved that I had 
anything to do with breaking you up, and I will yet bring you 
together." 

"Oh, well," said I, "I have another girl I met in 
Detroit." This is the "girl I left behind me" and married 50 
years ago, and still live with at the golden wedding. "But," 
said I, "Frank, the boys say you are a woman." 

A little embarrassed, Frank replied: "If you knew me to 
be a -woman, and wishing to conceal it, you would not expose 
me, would you?" 

I picked up the testament Frank had left on the cracker box 
when he changed his seat to another. I tossed the testament 
to Frank and he or she womanlike spread her knees to make a 
lap to catch the article, as a woman will. Said I: "Frank, you 
need not tell me that you are or are not a woman. I will say 
nothing of it. 

From that time forward I never had much to say to Frank, 
except concerning our duty, though Frank and I were lifelong 
friends. Frank was chosen brigade letter carrier because of his 
light weight, making it easier for the pony that carried the mail. 

Frank was always ready to do any little errand for the sol- 
diers when going to Washington, Baltimore or New York, and 
was loved by everybody as a model soldier. 

Because of the transference of our regiment from the third 
to the ninth corps Franak lost his position as letter carrier, and 
because of having a horse was transferred to the colonel's staff 
as orderly. 

One hot day's march from Bardstown to Lebanon, Ky., 
Frank was taken sick and deserted from the hospital for fear 
of the discovery of sex. Frank was heard of no more by his 
comrades until after the war, though Frank became the famous 
nurse and spy, writing a book of that title giving his wonderful 
experience. 



92 



In 1883 at a reunion of the Second Michigan Infantry at 
Lansing, Michigan, it was announced by Col. Silvester Larncd, 
our lieutenant-colonel, that Frank Thompson of Co. F, Second 
Michigan Infantry, now resides at Fort Scott, Kansas, having 
married Mr. L. H. Seeley, the old sweetheart who loaned Frank 
the suit of clothes. 

Some later, declared this was not the boy lover who loaned 
Frank the suit of clothes, and Frank never affirmed or denied 
it as far as I know. 

Mrs. Seeley was invited to the reunion at Flint the next 
year, 1884, and for the first time a number of comrades mis- 
trusted such a thing as Frank Thompson being a woman. 

One comrade cried: "Frank Thompson, what are you doing 
here in a woman's costume?" 

Frank replied: "I am helping Uncle Sam raise infantry. I 
am now the mother of two fine boys.' ; 

Frank inquired for Lyman E. Stowe. Someone said, "Here 
is his wife, Mrs. Stowe." 

Frank addressed my wife with many compliments for me, 
saying "I was the innocent cause of separating Lyman from one 
sweetheart, and I declared I would bring them together again, 
but I guess I will have to leave that out now," and so I never 
saw Agnes again. 

The boys of the regiment set to work to get Frank a pen- 
sion, so Frank Thompson (Mrs. L. H. Seeley) was the only 
woman known to have served in the ranks as a private soldier 
for over two years. True to her God, true to her country and 
her comrades, and true to her womanhood, the greatest hero of 
two million soldiers of the Northern army. 

Here is Frank's picture as a boy soldier in 1861, and as Mrs. 
L. H. Seeley in October, 1884. Died Sept. 21st, 1898. One ot 
the noblest women that ever lived, and yet beat me out of my 
sweetheart. I also present a picture of our flag. Frank Thomp- 
son followed. It could no longer hold the names of the battles 
the regiment participated in. 

Washington's Vision. 

It was during the winter of 1777, when Washington's army 
was encamped at Valley Forge that terrible winter of depriva- 
tion, suffering and discontent, of the American army, when 
Washington's heart was wrung in pity for his suffering sol- 
diers and their families, where there seemed no ray of hope, 
unless a Divine Providence reached out a helping hand to the 
strugglers for American independence. Washington, in despair, 
walked into the snow-clad forest to pray. After a long and 
earnest prayer to God for help he heard a voice say: "Son of 
the Republic, look up!" Washington looked up and beheld a 
beautiful being, an angel, and she said: 

"Behold." 



93 

Then Washington saw a picture, and boats and armed men 
were coming from France to his assistance; and after a long 
and severe struggle, he saw the British army driven from our 
shores and peace settle down over the whole face of the coun- 
try. Towns, villages and cities sprang up, the population in- 
creased many millions of souls, and the starry banner floated 
over many white sails that dotted the ocean with commerce. 

This picture faded away and again he heard the voice say: 
"Son of the Republic, look up." Again he looked and beheld a 
dark cloud hanging over the whole country, and black men in 
the bonds of slavery were crying out for freedom. Then he 
saw two mighty contending armies. His country was divided 
and engaged in civil strife. This he was given to understand 
would last for four years. He then saw peace restored and his 
country more prosperous than - ever, and the picture faded out 
when he again heard the voice say: 

"Son of the Republic, look up." 

Again he looked up anad beheld the mighty cities along the 
Atlantic coast spreading northward and westward, until he 
beheld the Pacific ocean under the setting sun, and all the way 
was thick with population and teeming with industry. He then 
saw a dark cloud arising in the east, and the south and the west 
were armed in battle array, and the east divided; and some men 
had turned traitor to the country and were trying to establish 
a monarchy, and they were being helped by the nations of 
Europe and the far east, and he beheld the dusky hordes of 
India and of Japan swarming over the Pacific coast, while the 
mighty navies and great armies of Europe were attacking our 
Atlantic coast; and if this were not enough, he saw armies of 
traitors among our own people rise up to help the enemy. Just 
upon the verge of despair our people arose as one man, with 
China to aid us; with Herculean strength they hurled the foe 
back into the sea, and their flags went down forever, and our 
starry banner arose to float over a country in peace and pros- 
perity for at least a thousand years. China was not a yellow 
peril but an ally. 

How truthful has the vision been fulfilled we all know, and 
the last act will be fulfilled between 1912 and 1953. (This was 
written in 1896.) When Astrology points to planetary posi- 
tions which indicate the world will be in the midst of a universal 
war. 

Then again that science called Periodicity, which shows 
man's or nation's evil period, or their Friday, as it were. Thus 
a man born Sunday, Friday will be his evil day, and if born on 
Monday, Saturday will be his evil day, and so on through the 
days of the week. Then every seventh year will be a man's 
Friday year, and for a nation, seven years are used as a day; 
thus every 49 years will bring its seven years of Friday. 

From 1810 to '16 was our Friday, and our second war with 
England. From 1861 to '66 was our second Friday, and the war 
between the North and South. 



94 



From 1916 to 1928 will be the next Friday, and the last ter- 
rible struggles Washington saw in his vision will start, i. e., 
1916 to 1918. (See my greatt boov, "What Is Coming.") 

My Bible Prophecy points to this same time, 1908, as the 
setting up of the abomination which maketh desolate, which 
then took place. 

Karmenia says that the scriptural passage is true where it 
says, where three uniting in testimony establishes a fact. Thus 
Periodicity, Astrology, Bible Prophecy and Washington's vision 
all point to the great struggle about to take place. And why 
shouldn't Washington have a vision on such an important mat- 
ter, when so many great men have had their visions. 

Alexander the Great, before he left Athens to conquer the 
world, saw where he expected great opposition; instead, the 
High Priests and Levites come out to greet him with pleasure 
and escort him to Jerusalem, a thing that actually took place. 
"Ben Johnson spent the watches of the night, an interested 
spectator of a crowd of Tartars, Turks and Roman Catholics, 
who rose up and fought around his armchair until sunrise." 

Pope saw an arm, apparently, coming through the wall, and 
made inquiries after its owner. 

Ravaillae, while chanting "Miserere" and "De Profundis," be- 
lieved that the sounds he emitted were of the nature and effect 
of a trumpet. 

Swedenborg, while hundreds of miles away, saw the burn- 
ing of his native city, Stockholm. 

Dr. Johnson heard his mother call his name, in a clear 
voice, though she was at the time in another city. 

Julius Caesar was warned of his approaching assassination 
by an Astrologer, and by a vision which came to his wife. 

Oliver Cromwell, while lying sleepless on his couch, saw 
the curtain open and a gigantic woman appear, who told him 
he would become the greatest man in England. 

Volumes might be written citing the vision of great men 
as well as of men unknown to the world. 

My own vision on the battlefield of Malvern Hill referred 
to the same great struggle that was pictured in the last scene 
of Washington's vision, and my own destined part in the strug- 
gle or what lead up to it was pointed out. 

I trust the reader will pardon this digression, and I will con- 
tinue the recital of my experience in the war, so long as it is 
connected with my observation along the lines of occult phe- 
nomena. 

It is a well-known fact that commanders of armies desire to 
keep their movements a secret as long as possible, that the 
enemy may not learn of it and be prepared to meet them. But 
I do not believe it possible for a general of an American army 
to keep his intentions entirely a secret from his army, with so 
many bright minds; the whole plan will be foreshadowed and 
talked over by his soldiers before a move is made. But fortu- 









95 

nately the enemy is not likely to seek information of plans of 
attack from among the private soldiers. 

So common was it for men to have presentiments of their 
own death, that nearly every old soldier can relate some in- 
stances of this kind. Karmenia was always warning me that 
this comrade or that comrade would be killed in battle today, 
and I so often repeated it to my comrades that they would cry 
out, "Oh Stowe, don't. You never make a mistake." 

I well remember one instance where my foresight in these 
matters gave myself and others a terrible shock which caused 
me from that time on to keep my knowledge to myself. 

Burnside's army of twelve thousand men was besieged at 
Knoxville, Tenn., during the month of November and Decem- 
ber, 1863, by Longstreet's Confeedrate forces of forty thousand 
men. A little black coffee and a small "nubbin" of corn was a 
day's rations, for some days. 

Sudden hot skirmishes and spirited sorties were of frequent 
occurrence. Horses were in harness and men under arms all 
of the time. Sleep was caught in fitful naps; often while the 
soldier stood with gun in rifle pit, he slept for a few moments. 
Under such strained conditions the men were naturally very 
touchy and nervous. 

It was on the morning of November 24, 1863, and the Second 
Michigan Infantrv had iust answered the roll call. The men 
were parching corn and making their cups of coffee, when some- 
one accidentally ran against Sargeant Hadsted and hurt his 
mouth. 

Sergeant Hadsted was a good-looking young man, well 
liked, but his front teeth stood out quite prominent, and the two 
front teeth were noticeably very wide. The soldier who ran 
against the sergeant apologized, and the sergeant said it was all 
right, and said he: 

"I suppose you couldn't help running against my front teeth. 
If I ever get a hit of any kind it is over those teeth." 

Said I: "And you will get your final. blow in that same 
place today, I suppose you think," I added as I saw a shock of 
pallor overspread his face. For he of course knew how accu- 
rately I read men's premonitions. 

In a moment I felt very sorry I had made the remark. 

Before we had time to drink our coffee and eat our corn we 
were called out to make a sortie. One hundred and seventy-two 
of us were ordered to attack a rifle pit, which had been thrown 
up in the night, and to level it to earth again. This was by 
some mistake, for we met a whole brigade of the enemy, and we 
lost half our number, Sergeant Hadsted being one of the nurber, 
instantly killed, and the ball that killed him knocked out those 
very teeth. 

I must not let the reader suppose it was only those evil, 
sorrowful things that were presented to me, for many things of 
the bright side of life were presented to me by Karmenia, who 
often brought me pleasant news from home, both for myself and 



96 

for my comrades, when it was impossible for us to get mail from 
home. But of course the things were not so noticeable and were 
soon forgotten; besides many looked upon these things a little 
queerly, and so I kept it to myself, or shared my knowledge with 
but a few friends. 

Karmenia was always weeping because I had engaged in a 
business of taking life. Finally I got tired of it and I opened a 
conversation with her which ran like this: 

"Karmenia, dear, you know I love you, but you make me 
very unhappy by your continual weeping because I have chosen 
to help save my country. Now, Karmenia, the whole of nature 
is at strife, from the least blade of grass to the towering oak, 
from the worm to the highest intellect of man, one thing lives 
off, from, or regardless of the rights of another. Man must kill 
the lower animals to live, and even nations devour one another; 
and, Karmenia, I am here to help free an oppressed people and 
to save my beloved country from destruction. While you, Kar- 
menia, you whom I love so well, are forever complaining be- 
cause I must use force to kill. Did not that God of nature who 
made all things, make that law of strife, by which all things that 
are, live?" 

"Oh yes, my beloved one," she replied; "but you are not 
any longer of that nature. When you- entered this life, it was to 
correct a few errors, and when converted so young, you prom- 
ised to follow a Master who taught peace, not war, Who said, 
'If thy brother smite thee on the one cheek, turn the other 
also.' " 

"Yes," I replied; "but He also said, 'I come to bring a 
sword, not peace; to set father against son, and son against 
father.' " 

"Again," said I, "Karmenia, did not God help Washington 
establish this country? Then does he not want his children to 
defend it? Just see, Karmenia, we have many of Christ's fol- 
lowers in the army, and the churches are praying for our suc- 
cess." 

"Yes," she replied; "and do you not suppose the Confeder- 
ates have professing-Christians in their army and their churches 
praying for their success?" 

I was compelled to admit that they did. 

"Now," said she, "there are many professing Christians who 
are earnestly trying to follow Christ who do not comprehend 
one iota of Christian principles. Do you think a good Christian 
who believes in a beautiful heaven, a place so much better than 
his earthly abode, and who is trying to live a Christian life, 
would be afraid to die? Would he not wish to hasten to that 
heavenly abode? Yet you have seen many die, and they do not 
generally die with that quiet fortitude that is displayed by the 
non-believer." 

I admitted all that Karmenia said, and I asked why this was 
so, and she answered me: 



97 

"Because the Christian understands the great obligation he 
has taken upon himself and he has an inner conscience that he 
is not doing exactly right, and he feels the future is more dan- 
gerous for him than for those who never knew Christ, on the 
same principle that the government would punish you for deser- 
tion, while the person who does not enlist has a broader personal 
freedom. Because you have taken an obligation they have not 
taken." 

"Hold," said I. "Karmenia, is not that inner conscience you 
speak of a mere superstition? Just look at the men who never 
took that obligation, yet the moment we draw near a battle 
they begin to fear, and strew the way with packs of playing 
cards they carried for their amusement. The carrying of the 
cards could be no great sin, for the cards have been known to 
stop a bullet in a non-believer's pocket, as well as a Bible in a 
believer's pocket, and both fail to be successful armor more 
times than they succeed." (I might add today, neither would 
stand against the modern arms.) 

"That is true," said she. "But it is superstition in the non- 
believer while it is not in the believer. But I am afraid I cannot 
explain the whole matter to you until you understand more of 
God's plan." 

"Then," said I, "Karmenia, how can I or my Christian 
friends be to blame for what we do not know? I wish to do 
God's will and thought I was doing it when I enlisted to fight 
my country's battles. But now my soul trembles because I am 
placed between two great contending conditions of mental force. 
Believing I was obeying God in coming to the defense of my 
God-given country, and now I am disobeying God in taking life, 
and I have taken an obligation in both cases. Now, Karmenia, 
what am I to do?" 

"Dear Karmenia, is not all sin rather ignorance than real 
sin?" 

"Yes; but the laws of man or the laws of God cannot admit 
or excuse ignorance." 

"Then, Karmenia, must I and all of my friends, and the 
untold millions of mankind, suffer torture in an everlasting 
burning hell for doing what we did not know better than to do?" 
"Oh, beloved mortal, no! But the child who does not know 
what fire is must feel the burn, when he tries to handle it, that 
he may know better next time, for his own self-protection." 

"Then," said I, "Karmenia, what is called sin is but a school 
of knowledge, and the punishment merely necessary to the de- 
velopment of knowledge." 

"Yes," said she. "That is true of all lower life and of man 
below the Christian. But the Christian is preparing to graduate 
from this school to a higher one, and he should be more careful 
that he may not fail, lest he cannot graduate, and so must suffer 
eternal remorse to think of the failure he had made, just as the 



98 



delinquent scholar would do in your schools. Is that not hell 
enough?" 

"But Karmenia, the lower animals must have souls as well 
as men, and they will all some time graduate?" 

"Yes," she replied; "not only the lower animals have souls, 
but the plants, and even the earth has sleeping souls to awaken. 
But oh, my beloved mortal, I do love you so because you are 
seeking knowledge, wisdom." 

I never saw Karmenia so lovely, as she drew nearer to me. 

"Karmenia," I asked, "If knowledge is so desirable, and I 
should think it would be, to get near to God, why do the relig- 
ionists of all times, who seem to know nothing about things, 
disagree and divide up into so many dogmas and beliefs, and 
persecute and try to send to hell every one who tries to find out 
anything about it? They themselves had to go through the 
same trials they force upon the seeker for knowledge." 

"Because," said she, "they have not learned their lesson well, 
and must learn it over." 

"Karmenia, my dear, what am I to do in this matter, as be- 
tween my country and my duty, in my knowledge of the wrongs 
of taking life?" I asked again. 

She replied: "Pray earnestly to God to be made to see the 
right, and I will be always near to help you and direct you what 
to do. But never wantonly take life, avoid it all you can; and 
if you must take life, try that you may not know it, and pray to 
be foregiven for it." 

The above question was also asked on the battlefield of 
Malvern Hill, after the vision spoken of in the first chapter. 

My beautiful Karmenia has appeared more beautiful, and 
has been my constant companion since the day of that mem- 
orable battle of Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864. 

A short time after the battle of Malvern Hill, several of my 
comrades and myself were out on a scouting expedition. We 
were very hungry and on short rations, and in the enemy's 
country. 

It was often in that country we would find lovely fields 
entirely surrounded by woods. In these concealed fields the 
inhabitants would hide their stock for fear it would be driven 
away. 

Our scouting party ran across one of those fields which con- 
tained a number of plump cattle. One noble docile ox stood his 
ground in a friendly manner, casting kindly glances at us from 
his great brown eyes. 

"Here is a chance for a good supper," said Comrade Sickles, 
and he raised his rifle, aimed at the animal's head and fired. But 
I threw out my hand and knocked the gun up and the bullet 
went wide of its mark. There was a general surprise all around. 
Karmenia laughed outright, and seemed very much pleased. 

The animal actually expressed astonishment though he did 
not run away, and I almost fancied he thanked me. 



99 

Comrade Sickles seemed the most surprised as he blurted 
out: "What in h 1 did you do that for?" 

I answered: "Look into that animal's eyes and ask me what 
I did that for. Is he not expressing his thanks? Then think 
how little of his carcass could seven of us carry; and we destroy 
a man's team, his means of a living, even though he be an enemy. 
It would not help to close the war. But lay that aside; the sav- 
ing of the life of that noble beast alone is reason enough. Look 
into those eyes, and tell me that you want to take his life, merely 
for our supper, when we will have plenty in camp in a short 
time." 

All of the comrades walked up to the animal, which stood 
perfectly still, and received the petting they bestowed upon him, 
while laughing at the peculiar way his life was saved and at my 
sentimentality, and the comrades declared I was too sentimental 
for a soldier. No doubt it was my little plea for the animal's 
life that saved it and mollified the spirits of my companions, for 
the tears were streaming from my eyes, and my comrades ex- 
pressed their sympathy in subdued voices and kindly words, and 
actually caressed the great docile ox which seemed to appreciate 
and understand it all. 




100 



CHAPTER XV. 

TWO INSTANCES OF SUDDEN MANIFESTATION OF 
SPIRIT FORCE. 

"Here the angel of death spread his wings on the blast, 
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed, 
And the eyes of the victims waxed deadly and chill, 
And their hearts that once heaved now forever are still." 

—LORD BYRON. 

Perhaps no regiment in the United States service during the 
unpleasantness of 1861 to 1865, was shifted around more or saw 
a greater variety of war experience than the Second Michigan 
Infantry. The first three years regiment into Washington. The 
rirst regiment to pass through Baltimore after the firing on the 
6th Massachusetts by the plug uglies, now in the army of the 
Potomac under McDowel, then under McClellan, then under 
Pope; again under McClellan, then under Burnside. Now 
hastening away to Kentucky to drive out John Morgan, then 
flying away as fast as steam could carry us, over hundreds of 
miles by car and boat, to help Grant at Vicksburg. Now in hot 
persuit of Johnson's forces, tearing up miles and miles of rail- 
roads, through the state of Mississippi, we are suddenly called 
back over mountain, plain and stream into Kentucky, thence to 
Tennessee and the memorable siege of Knoxville. Now by 
march by boat, and by rail we are hurried back to Washington 
to participate in Grant's great campaign which finally closes the 
war. Oh what volumes of experience comes up before me, at 
once, heroic, humorous and sad. But I must to my subject in 
hand. 

Whenever a change of commanders took place a review of 
the army was necessary, and as the soldiers stood in line the 
general and his staff rode by while the soldiers were supposed 
to yell themselves hoarse in cheering him. 

The 2nd Michigan Infantry was made up of militia com- 
panies from the small cities of Michigan. These were chiefly 
clerks, mechanics and small business men with a sprinkling of 
intelligent farmers and hunters and trappers who were patriotic 
and loved the military. 

Consequently this was an unusually intelligent body of men, 
who were very liable to express their intelligence in an independ- 
ent and striking manner. 

Burnside took command of the Army of the Potomac, just 
after the battle of Antietam and commenced his forward move- 
ment at once, consequently there was no chance for a review 
until we encamped before Fredericksburg. Finally the review 
came by corps. 



101 

A review even of a corps is a stirring sight — the long line 
of troops drawn up into ranks, sergeants and corporals in their 
plaecs. The Captains and Lieutenants ten paces in front in line, 
the Colonel and colors still front of them. The General's staff 
with cavelry escort generally ride up from the left of the col- 
umn to the right. The uniforms and equipments of officers 
and men must be as spick, span, clean and bright as it is pos- 
sible to make them. 

As the General and his escort passes each regiment the 
drums roll, the flags dip, the officers swing their swords and 

call out to their men to give three cheers for General 

mentioning his name. 

After our General Kearney was killed at Chantilly the 2nd 
Michigan Infantry was transferred from the 3rd to the 9th 
Army Corps, which was Burnside's old command, before being 
promoted to the command of the whole army. 

Finally our time came for review and the 9th Corps stood in 
line. The 2nd Michigan was at the extreme right of the column. 
Burnside and staff came up from the extreme left of the line, 
with the usual roll of drums and dip of colors and the men of 
every regiment of his old corps cheering lustily. But when he 
reached the 2nd Michigan, the drums rolled, the flags dipped, 
the officers swung their swords and cried: "Three cheers for 
General Burnside," but not a voice was raised to cheer. 

The General and staff rode on past the right and stopped. 
A staff officer was sent back to inquire what the trouble was. He 
asked the Colonel, "What is the matter with your regiment?" 
The Colonel replied, "I do not know, I have heard no complaint." 
He then rode along asking the line officers "What is the trouble 
with your men?" He got the same reply. He then asked 
Orderly Sergeants, but still receiving no satisfaction he got off 
from his horse and asked the first private soldier on the extreme 
right, "What is the matter with you, young man?" 

The soldier replied, "There is nothing the matter with me, 
sir." 

"Then why did you not cheer for General Burnside?" in- 
quired the officer. 

The reply was, "I came to fight, not yell my insides out for 
a man, until he shows himself worthy of it. We have been 
marching and fighting, yes, and yelling and getting whipped 
right along. This is a fighting regiment and we never slunk 
from our duty. Let Burnside win a battle, and we'll cheer him, 
and help him to win the battle." This question was asked of 
many men and the same reply received. Then the officer in- 
quired if the men had talked it over among themselves and to 
his astonishment no two had spoken to each other about the 
matter. There could be no mutiny where no foreknowledge 
was manifest. The officer laughed and though somewhat dazed 
at the phenomena, returned to report. 



102 



In this case there was no preconcerted action, so far as 
could be ascertained; no two men even had agreed they would 
not cheer. The regiment had never refused to cheer before, 
and never refused to cheer afterward. 

There may have been other instances of the kind, but the 
thoughtful man will ask what it was that caused this strange 
phenomena of a whole regiment of several hundred men think- 
ing and acting spontaneously with one impulse. 

I asked Karmenia the cause of this and she told me it was 
the spirit rehearsing its power in the control of many, or open- 
ing the way for greater events, which she will make plain at a 
later period. 

Grant's mighty army had moved forward from Washington, 
crowding Lee's forces backward. We fought the terrible and 
bitter battle of. the Wilderness, striking an impregnable obstacle 
and glancing off as it were, to rebound on Spotsylvania and 
gain some advantages, which were checked to some extent, 
and again checked on the banks of the North Ann, only to 
meet with a more desperate struggle at Cold Harbor. All day 
deep into the night of June 1st, 1864, the battle raged. It is 
said Grant, with his well-known bulldog tenacity, declared in 
a telegram to the President: "I have fought a bitter battle and 
lost ten thousand men. But I will take Cold Harbor if it costs 
the life of every man in my command.'' 

The reporters were not permitted at the front at that time 
and were in Washington anxiously waiting for news. But such 
news to send to the weeping fathers, mothers, sisters and broth- 
ers of the boys in blue, was too harsh for the sympathetic, diplo- 
matic Lincoln to permit publishing, so he told the reporters: 
"Grant says he will fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." 
It was Lincoln's wisdom and sympathy, but Grant got the credit 
for the saying. 

Let us see how it came out. 

The morning of June 2, 1864, the sun shone bright and beau- 
tiful. Grant's army was massed and ordered forward; the bugles 
sounded "Forward." But not a general could give a commond! 
not a man moved. 

Who was it, what was it, that influenced the best army the 
world had ever known to stop instantly and refuse to march on 
Lee's impregnable position where Grant's mighty army would 
have been destroyed? 

For two years that ground had been fought over and the 
best blood of a nation poured out from both sides, and as every- 
thing, is thought, the blood of those slaughtered men cried up to 
to the living: "Oh don't, don't, don't go into that hell of de- 
struction!" And the army stood still, and a spirit of brotherly 
love arose from the souls of the boys of North and South and 
began to grow, and at the final defeat of the South the Southern 
boys were received with handshakes and joy, and fed by their 
victorious boys of the North, who had nothing but kind words 
to offer. 



103 



Grant's mighty arm}- glanced off from Cold Harbor and 
moved around by the way of Petersburg, where the wise old 
General Benjamin F. Butler had warned Grant. If Richmond 
was ever to be taken, it must be taken from that direction. Yes, 
and every man of McClellan's forces two years before had 
agreed on the same thing. 

Think of a whole army of a hundred thousand men acting 
as one man without a word of preconcerted action, and ask your- 
self if it was not the hand of destiny. Was this the greater event 
mentioned by Karmenia? But as we proceed she will explain all 
things. 




OUT OF THE DARKNESS KARMENIA OFTEN AP- 
PEARED TO ME. 



104 



CHAPTER XVI. 

AN EVENT AT THE BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA 
AND WHAT CAME OF IT. 

"And there lay the steed with his nostrils all wide, 
Hut through it there rolled not the breath of his pride, 
While the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf 
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf." 

— LORD BYRON. 

I had participated, with my regiment, in many a reconnois- 
sance, skirmish and hard-fought battle, and had been on all kinds 
of dangerous duty, but so far, up to the battle of Spottsylvania 
I never knew for certain that I had killed a man. Though a fine 
rifle shot, known to be one of the best in the regiment, I never 
flinched my duty. But when so many are firing, it is seldom 
known who is an individual slayer, and it is well that it is so. 
For I do not think any man is ever happy afterward if he knows 
for certain he killed a man, even in battle where he is supposed 
to be doing his duty. But, oh God, we offend our brothers, and 
often kill our superiors for food. 

The battle of Spottsylvania was fought May 12th, 1864. My 
term of enlistment would expire on the 25th, and on account of 
my peculiar feelings in the matter of killing, I determined not 
to re-enlist, believing I had done my duty, and there were plenty 
more who should have a chance to obtain military glory. 

There were about a hundred of my regiment who had served 
faithfully, never had a furlough or been home, who did not re- 
enlist and were looking rather anxiously for the expiration of 
their term of service and a speedy return home. 

Up from the burning forest and the gloom and terrors of 
that awful battle of the Wilderness, marching forward in rain 
and mud which followed the great battle, we finally took our 
position on the banks of the Poe river near Spottsylvania. Here 
we held a position at the bend of a horseshoe in the enemy's 
line, which our forces soon cut, capturing several thousand men 
and forcing toward us a number who were trying to escape, but 
they surrendered when they saw they were in a trap. 

The Third Michigan Infantry with whom we had been 
brigaded during the first year of the war were among the troops 
driving the enemy toward us. As they came beating up the 
bush for prisoners and we recognized them, a great cheer 
went up. 

One would think the battle was over for the day. But that 
was early in the morning, and a historical battle between two 
great armies does not mean these great armies come together in 
a death struggle and fight until one side or the other is de- 
feated. These armies extend over many miles of country and 
a number of fierce engagements take place, far apart, yet they 
are generally known under the name of one great battle. 



105 



When my comrades greeted our old friends and comrades 
of the Third Michigan I noticed something very peculiar in the 
voices of my comrades, and I began looking into their faces, 
and then I knew we were about to enter into a fierce and deadly 
struggle, and that a number of my comrades would leave their 
bones to bleach on that battlefield. 

These comrades also had a half conscious knowledge of 
that fact, which caused the changed tone of voice. 

There was no longer any use for us in this position, and we 
were moved up in support of a battery of artillery, one of a num- 
ber which held an important central position of our right wing. 
We had been lying in support of this battery for some time 
when all of our brigade, except my regiment, were ordered down 
in front, to charge some rifle pits just beyond a piece of woods. 
They, however, met an overwhelming force of the enemy who 
were preparing to charge the artillery to break the center. Our 
forces were pushed back into our own guns and the fight was 
one of the closest and fiercest I was ever engaged in. 

As the enemy ran right over our forces and came almost 
close enough to touch our guns, we arose and fired upon them. 
As I arose to fire I noticed a very large man in a bright butter- 
nut suit. He held his gun across his breast as if to be able to 
use either end of it. I did not seem to notice anyone else, al- 
though I saw the line, but I raised my gun and at that short 
range I fired point blank at his breast. It is needless to say he 
went down. The enemy at once gave way before the deadly 
volley of that terrible regiment. Pardon me, dear reader, for 
speaking so of that regiment, but read the history. In civil life 
there were no better citizens but in battle they were devils 
incarnate, until their sympathies were aroused for the wounded, 
and then their hearts melted and they became as tender and 
sympathetic as a mother for a stricken child. 

After the battle ceased I walked over the ground, a more 
terrible sight could hardly be imagined. I looked at the dead 
man I fired at. . He was hit exactly where I aimed at him. Here 
was the evidence I had killed a man, there could be little doubt. 
What an awful thought! 

Karmenia spoke to me. Said she: "Did I not tell you never 
to try to find out that you had killed a man? Now you must 
suffer a dreadful penalty for your weakness of giving way to 
curiosity." 

How true was her assertion. I had seen the dead man's 
face. It could never be fully effaced from my memory and 
must ever be a burning horror in my thoughts until atoned for 
by some act of mine here on earth. True I always tried to con- 
sole myself with the thought that others were firing; maybe it 
was not my bullet after all. 

A few days after the battle I was walking with a comrade of 
the Eighth Michigan Infantry, and I made a trade with him for 



106 



an old brass watch. After I had the watch in my possession he 
told me where he got it. Said he: "I was one of the burial 
party after the battle, and I noticed a great big man in a new 
butternut suit; he was shot right through the breast. A black 
watch cord hung out of his pants pocket. I twisted my fingers 
in it and jerked it out of his pocket, but I did not want it, so I 
traded it to you." 

"My God!" said I. "I shot that man. Here, take your 
watch." 

"Oh no," said he, "I don't want it. I should think you would 
be glad to get it for a relic. You should not feel bad because 
you know you shot a man, for that is what you are here for." 

Mechanically I put the watch in my pocket and carried it 
home, but it was unpleasant to me and I soon gave it away. 

That dead man's face was a nightmare to me for thirty-two 
years, when it was wiped away in a very peculiar manner. 

My motto in life is to reach down to those below me, and 
try to bring them up where I am, and to reach up to those 
above to be drawn up to them. 

My business for many years was selling goods on weekly 
and monthly installments. This took me among all classes of 
people, and I often found myself called upon to assist some poor 
soul from degradation and shame to a higher level. This I 
sought to do without ostentation or public show; and I have often 
wondered whether or not I have not done more harm than good 
by helping to deprive people of an experience that nature had 
intended for them. I have generally found an expression of 
ingratitude for my labor and pains. 

In 1896 I took an active part in the heated political cam- 
paign, though I did not run for office, or was I known in the 
movement further than as an agitator. Whether that had any- 
thing to do with the affair about to be related I do not know. 
But about that time I ran across a young woman about to be 
confined. She needed assistance and I helped her and she sold 
some books for me afterward and though she was not very 
fortunate I never regretted what I did for her. There was 
another case in a measure connected with this. 

One evening the latter part of November of 1896 a woman 
called at my door and called for me. I recognized her as a 
widow woman and the mother of a young girl I had given some 
lessons in elocution two years before, when the child was 14 
years of age. The lady requested that I call at her house next 
day, as she desired to have a talk with me. I called upon her 
the next day at the corner of Sixth and Michigan Ave. I found 
her living in some large, barren rooms, no carpets on the floor, 
a bed with a mattress and pillow, but no covering, a stove, a 
table and a couple of chairs. Her daughter, a girl now 16 
yaers old, but very small for her age, was sitting there and 
by appearance soon to be confined. The mother said: "I came 
here from Chatham, Ont., Canada. My daughter was married 
there but at present we do not know where her husband is, 



107 



but we expect him here soon. My rent is due and my daughter 
is about to be confined and I cannot get out to work, and I 
wish to know if you will call on our landlord and ask him if 
he will let us stay until my daughter gets well and I can get 
work, and then I will pay him. I did not know of anyone else 
here to call upon and so came to you to see if you would 
help us." 

Said I: "Your daughter should be taken to some hospital, 
where she can be taken care of." 

"Yes," she replied, "but I do not know where to take her." 

"Oh," said I, "in this great Christian city full of benevolent 
institutions there must be plenty of places that will gladly do 
the kindly act of taking her in." 

Well, the next day I mounted my wheel and rode all day 
long from one place to another, but I found, at that time at 
least, our benevolent institutions were originated for the benefit 
of the originators, as a general thing, and were benevolent for 
what there was in it, and the person without funds found no 
help in them. Not one of them would take the girl in for less 
than $5 per week. A member of the Woman's Christian Asso- 
ciation said it was not their business to look after such cases, 
as they looked after the soul. 

I told her to please read Luke VI:35, which says: "Love 

r enemies * * * do good * * 
again, and your reward shall be great." 

Also Matthew XXIII :15: "Woe unto you, Scribes and 
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make 
one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more 
the child of hell than yourselves." 

She blushed and told me I better go see a city physician. 
I did not need her advice for this. 

I went back and gave the woman three dollars and told her 
to get someone to stay with the daughter a while and then 
go out and look for rooms, which she did, and found some 
good rooms in a brick building just off First on the alley. I had 
a quantity of quilts and blankets I had taken with returned 
goods, which I gave her to make her comfortable. I then told 
her how to apply to the poormaster for coal and provisions. 

There was nothing certain as to their getting the city 
physician on time, as he was likely to be away elsewhere, and 
I was afraid the young woman would die in childbirth if not 
immediately helped, as she was such a small person. 

So I told Dr. Gustin, close by, I would give him five dol- 
lars if he would wait on her if necessary, which he did, and he 
told me only for his promptness she and the child would surely 
have died. I have his receipt today. 

I called several times to see how the mother and child 
were getting along, or to carry something I thought would help 
\o make them more comfortable. 

They had shown me the baby, but I paid no attention to it 
until the grandmother said one day: "Here is something 



108 



strange, for a child so young. Every time you come in that 
door this baby tries to turn and look at you, and just see how 
it grows." 

I turned and looked at the baby. "My God! Was I going 
crazy?" In that baby's face I saw the dead man on the battle- 
field of Spottsylvania 32 years before. 

Can soul talk to soul? If so the man was speaking to me, 
and Karmenia told me my nightmare was at an end. I had 
taken a life and I had given it back, for without my aid the 
mother and child would have died before proper help could 
have arrived. But I must still suffer to some extent. 

Some weeks after the last event spoken of, two young men 
called at my office and said they wished to see me. 

"Well, what is it," said I. 

"Well, Mr. Stowe," said one of them, "there is a little- 
scandal about you we would like to inquire into." 

"About me?" said I in astonishment. 

"Yes, it is reported there are two beautiful young girls, 
mothers, not wives, and you are responsible." 

"Well," said I, "why did you not pursue your investigations 
where you first got your information?" 

"The parties who gave us the information knew no more 
and the other parties have moved and you are reported as hav- 
ing assisted them to move." 

"Well," said I, "stop right where you are. Here is the 
address of the parties. You go and gather all the information 
you want right from headquarters." But instead of going near 
the people they published a scandal charging me with the hor- 
rible crime of adultery. The paper was a slanderous, irrespon- 
sible sheet, so it was best to pay no attention to it. But for 
doing an act of mercy and charity I was slanderously punished, 
and Karmenia says it is the end of my punishment for seeking 
to know I killed a man even in duty. I have often, when agi- 
tated, spoken harshly against wrongs and wrong systems and 
supporters of those svstems, and I suppose I would fight des- 
perately in defense of myself and family or innocent ones, but 
I pray to God I may never be called upon to do so, for, dear 
reader, it is a dreadful thing to take life, even when duty calls 
on one to do so. 



V ¥ 



109 

CHAPTER XVII. 
A STRANGE OCCULT EXPERIENCE. 

"Gold breaks through every sacred tie, 
And bids a friend, or brother, die; 
The fruitful source of kindred strife 
Gold would not spare a parent's life, 
Long wars and murders, crimes untold 
All spring from cursed thirst for gold." 

Anac, Carm: 46. 

It was Sept. 25th, 1890, I first met Comrade 
Wm. Means, and learned he was a medium of un- 
usual powers. He wished me to help him gather 
friends for a spiritual seance, which I did at Com- 
rade Thurston's house, on first street just south 
of Michigan. Ave., Detroit. Mich. 
There were present 21 strong believers in 
spirit return. 

We were to get spirit messages and spirit 
drawn pictures under the best test conditions 
possible, through the mediumship of Comrade 
Means. We sat in a circle with Comrade Means 
facing the south. I sat on his right side holding 
his right hand, Lawyer Edward S. Grece held 
his left hand. There was a small table in the 
center of the circle, this would be far from the 
reach of the medium. 

The medium was thoroughly searched for 
papers of any kind. We procured a pad of papers 
and placed on the table where it would be out of 
reach of the medium, were he so disposed, as to 
wish to take it. We sat in this circle for an hour 
in the dark and then the lights were turned on 
and each man had a message from the spirit 
world. Every one was satisfied. 




X 

bo 



o 

S3 

-t-J 

Oh 
4-1 
'C 
"S 

C/3 



Ill 



While every one of the papers contained some- 
thing startling my own paper was the wonder of 
the lot, and covered with the most elaborate fig- 
ures and message of them all. It bears the fig- 
ures of seven faces. In the upper right hand 
corner are the initial letters OM, which stand for 
old man of the mountains. In the lower left hand 
corner are the letters "Abe/' which stand for the 
spirit artist who did the work. In the right hand 
lower corner are the initial letters H. C. Above 
these letters and between the faces is a panel an 
inch in width and six inches long. On the left 
hand end is a shaded figure giving the symbol of 
the ancient society of the Magi, of which I was a 
member. 

The background to this figure looks as though 
it might be done with a pencil, but on examina- 
tion it is seen it could not have been done with a 
pencil, and so far no person can tell me how it 
was done, or what it was done with, but every one 
of these 21 messages were drawn on papers we 
furnished with our stamp cut in the right hand 
upper corner. I can only give a faint idea of the 
work in my book, an etching of a drawing of the 
original. See picture and description 

Here is the message : 

"Words to our brother in the work — greeting. 
"Yes, success is yours — Recognize your 
Band — be led by your impressions 
when direct instructions are not given — 
100,000,000X00 For the truth, The Band— Y 
930 Y, 817— Y, 751." 



llz 



Some of the figures I must not reveal and some 
I could not. But I will say to the world — the 
light of truth will soon dawn upon you and "A 
new heaven and a new earth will open to you as 
the sun traverses the sign Aquarius in the great 
zodiac." 

Karmenia says these are co-workers in the an- 
cient temples and caves, some of which were in 
Scotland and Ireland and vicinity and some far- 
ther east, and to the society to which I was a 
member over 6000 years ago, and afterward re- 
incarnated into a body known as Daniel. Let the 
reader draw his own conclusion, say spiriti im- 
pressions. 

That received by Henry Clay Hodges, De- 
troit's grand old millionaire citizen, was from the 
spirit of ex-Governor Bagley, and read as follows : 
"Henry Clay Hodges, greeting: There is no 
cheap 'May Flowers' in this. — John J. Bagley." 
It should be remembered Mr. Bagley originated 
the fine cut tobacco of that name. 

The other messages were common place ex- 
cept my own, which is presented at the head of 
this article, and was the most elaborate of the lot, 
and represents a band of men who originated 
the "Brotherhood of Light" 6,000 years ago. 

Their descendants became the Sun Worship- 
ers, or theology band upon astrology. Up to this 
point the rights of man and just government, 
with equal rights to all, was the purpose of all 
organized bodies ; yet these bodies recognized a 
Divine Originator and Ruler, but had not fallen 
so far away from the spiritual, and justice, as to 
need teachers of wisdom alone. 



113 

They recognized in the law of the survival of 
the fittest, that all is one, that God and man, or 
the lower order of being, must be a part of the 
higher order of being, as one thing lives off of 
another, as the following poem, "Survival of the 
Fittest/' borrowed from my "Poetical Drifts of 
Thought," will show. 

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. 

You are at it again, I see, my boy? 

Whenever this way I pass, 
You have a flower or an insect or two, 

And a magnifying glass. 

What do you find to interest you so, 

Or what conclusions draw 
From the petals of a flower so small, 

Or the half of an insect's paw? 

Halloo! Frank. I'm studying nature's book, 

And it fills my soul with awe, 
When I think of man and these little things, 

And I a comparison draw. 

Man boasts of his wonderful powers, 

And prates about heaven and hell, 
And says he has an immortal soul 

In another world to dwell. 

For his wanton destruction of animal life, 

Man offers this weak excuse: 
He says God made the world for him, 

And all other things for his use. 

Now, whether or not this may be so, 

I'm sure I cannot tell; 
If God made man and made the world, 

He made nature's laws as well. 

And now, dear Frank, attention give, 

And I'll prove (if your head is level), 
That a more terrible law could neverVe been made. 

Even if made by the Devil I! 



114 

The air we breathe, and the water we drink 

Are filled with animal life, 
And nature's laws have decreed it so, 

That they are in a continual strife. 

Before Mr. Spider doth reach his lair, 

Alongside of that rotten log, 
He, in turn, becomes the prey 

Of the chameleon or the frog. 

And their aim and purpose in this life — 

In this world seems to be — 

Like man, and all other animals, 

Is to preserve their identity. 

Just watch them close as they skip about 
In an apparent sportive mood. 

Take this stronger glass, and then you will se 
They devour each other for food. 

The stronger live on the weaker, 

You can see with your naked eye — 

Now you can lay your glass aside 

And see the spider pounce on the fly! 

As the spider feasts on his dainty dish, 
Or on a drop of blood doth sup — 

That the spider may live, another day, 
The fly must his life give up! 

$3 & 




115 

The frog has scarcely finished his meal, 

When, swifter than the wind, 
The swift-winged hawk came soaring down, 

And on his frogship dined. 

Before the hawk had picked the bones, 

And had time to soar away, 
The soft-footed fox came up behind, 

And the hawk was Renard's prey. 

Renard had scarcely finished the hawk, 
And his dainty chops had licked, 

When a hungry bear espied the fox, 
And Renard's bones he picked. 

Now, who should next come on the field, 

Imagine it, if you can, 
Why, the crack of a rifle told the tale, 

And Bruin became food for man. 

All suffer and die, that another may live, 
The world is filled with pain and sorrow, 

Even the ox is slaughtered to-day, 

That you may have your dinner to-morrow. 

And man, in turn, lives off of man, 

And he's in a continual strife. 
They jostle and crowd each other about, 

In this terrible battle of life. 

And when man dies, and passes away, 
And his body lies under the sod, 

Who can tell but his soul flies up 

To become food for a mighty God!! 




116 



Yet with all of this, there could be no real 
death; consequently there must be a right to the 
least that should be respected by the greatest. 

He also recognized the fact that we came to 
this earth naked and bare, with nothing to live 
for but sorrow and care. We die, we go to we 
know not where. But if we do right here we 
will be right there. 

As these lines are schooled into us, there can 
be no such thing as a lost soul. But, the progress 
a man may have may be measured by his con- 
duct here, as he builds into his spiritual body. 
The Sons of Light recognized this, hence a re- 
ligion of another world cut no figure with them, 
unless their conduct in this world warranted it. 
Therefore they never feared God. 

"The natural law of the survival of the fit- 
test" was created to help man to overcome self — 
to build a perfect kingdom — and to assist in per- 
fect government. The Bible and all organiza- 
tions were originated to work to that end. 

The words Karmenia is speaking to me is 
"Come out of them, O ! my people," Rev. XVII :4. 
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying. 
Come out of her, my people, that ye be not par- 
takers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her 
plagues." 

I ask her why and she shows me the churches 
and the big cities, and they are filled with turmoil, 
yet I see others, in a glorious light, and they 
carry banners which bear the words — 



117 

"To make good Christians and save the world 
from the curse of human selfishness, that the 
spirit and the body may dwell together in har- 
mony, force equality, before the law, mercy and 
justice on earth. 'Peace and good will to men/ ' 

This is called socialism. 

I am also told I am a messenger to call the un- 
seen brotherhood to the help of the brothers here; 
and woe to those who persecute the honest spirit- 
ulaists, clairvoyants and astrologers. Also woe 
to the fakes who impose upon the public in the 
name of the occults for money. Yet "The labor- 
er is worthy of his hire" and all may fail at times. 

The Bible tells us God hated kingdoms and 
brought the Jews up under the judges, and the 
judges sold themselves for filthy lucre, and the 
people cried, "Give us a king, oh! LordP* God 
replied, "I will give you a king, but this is the 
kind of a king you will get: :he will take your 
sons and your daughters, your lands and yotir 
vineyards and the best of all you've got," and 
they've always been doing it and intriguing 
against each other and trying to enslave the 
masses into bonded slavery, just as they are do- 
ing today. 

Karmenia says their time is up, as the sun was 
passing through the sign Pisces ruled by the God 
of Wealth. The wars and intrigues they are in 
today will prove their last. 

The dishonest wealthy class got into the Or- 
der of the Suns of Light, and the Magi and the 
Masons and Churches, for the express purpose 



118 

of corrupting them, and it is silly today to set up 
the cry that this organization or that organiza- 
tion is not out for money, and in the next breath 
to tell you where you can purchase printed mat- 
ter on the subject at so much per dime. 

It is true the Sons of Light are being reorgan- 
ized to retain freedom. They have no more fears 
for the future life than did "Low," the poor In- 
dian who was beset by a score of missionaries, all 
ready to send him to hell unless he joined their 
particular creed. At length, upon his deathbed, 
he was approached by all and asked which church 
he would embrace. He replied, "It seems I will 
be damned if I do and I will be damned if I don't 
join some church; so I will remain contented with 
my belief in a happy hunting ground, and I will 
ask you to place on my tombstone these words : 

"Here lies poor Johnny Knokumtod, 
Have mercy on his soul, Oh God ! 
# He would on you if he were God, 
And you poor Johnny Knokumtod." 



The present war is being fought by unseen forces to a far greater extent 
'nan by the visible forces,, and interest on money is the bone of contention, 
rhlch ever side fights against interest that Christ is with and must win. 






119 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

-A Trip to the Asteroids 
By Prof. Lyman E. Stowe, Detroit, Mich. 

Fir»t appeared in the Lutz Express, Pa., Aug. 26th, 1904. 



KARMENIA TAKES ME ON A TRIP TO 
THE ASTEROIDS, AND WHILE ON THE 
WAY EXPLAINS TO ME A PORTION OF 
GOD'S PLAN. 

"All are parts of one stupendous whole. 
Whose body nature is and God the soul." 

—Pope. 

"Good morning, Professor." 

"Good morning, Doctor." 

This was the salutation that took place in my 
office, 8 a. m., February 16, 1904. The following 
is a report of the conversation between Dr. 
Barnes and myself, at the time and place abovt 
mentioned, as recorded by my stenographer, as 
the words fell from our lips, and at her earnest 
solicitation was published in this work. 

I should state here, however, for the benefit 
of the reader, I am a retired business man, and a 
professor of Astrology and student of Occult 
Science, in all of its branches. 

Doctor Barnes is a neighbor, who frequently 
calls for a few minutes' chat, as he is also an in- 
vestgaitor of Occult wonders. 



120 



Dr. — "Well, Professor, you look somewhat 
perplexed and worried as if you just came in 
from a journey or have been at work all night. 
What is troubling your mind now?" 

Prof. — "Yes, I have been on a long journey. 
As to work I should say I have worked, if climb- 
ing mountains and delving through subterranean 
passages, amid fire and rock and slime and ooze, 
can be called work." 

Dr. — "You must have been on a long journey, 
if you have visited mountains, since there is not 
a hill four hundred feet high within two hundred 
miles of Detroit. I guess you have had another 
trip with Karmenia, and what planet have you 
been exploring this time ? But before you answer 
that I wish to ask when you first commenced the 
investigation of Occult Science, and where you 
first made the acquaintance of this beautiful ce- 
lestial maiden Karmenia?" 

Prof. — "Oh! ThaJ: is a long story. But suf- 
fice it to say I was born an investigator, and com- 
menced my investigation immediately after I re- 
ceived my bath and a suit of clothes befitting my 
new station in life." 

Dr. — "May I ask what you commenced to in- 
vestigate so early in life?" 

Prof. — "I began investigating the realms of 
food land. My mother said I was born hungry 
and began an immediate search for something to 
satisfy my appetite." 

Dr. — "What a change has come over you! 
You never seem to hunger now, unless it is for 
knowledge, for I can always find you poring over 



121 



some book or delving with some chemical experi- 
ment or mystical problem. If reincarnation is a 
truth, in a former life you must have been an 
alchemist. ,, 

Prof. — "Yes, I now eat to live. My hunger is 
now, and has been for many years, a hunger for 
knowledge. In fact, it was this hunger for 
knowledge that brought my introduction to Kar- 
nlenia." 

"It was away back in the '80's, from a cold, 
hopeless materialist, that I became a student of 
Theology, and while trying to define the line be- 
tween spirit and matter I began the search for 
the seat of the immortal soul. I soon found if I 
made any progress I must take up the study of 
anatomy and chemistry, so at the age of 40 I 
joined a class of students and became a delver in 
the mysteries of theoretical and demonstrative 
chemistry." 

Dr.— "For what?" 

Prof. — "For the one purpose of analyzing 
man to find the seat of the soul." 

Dr. — "Did you not feel afraid to pry into the 
mysteries of God!" 

Prof.— "Afraid ! Of what should I be afraid? 
Do not the Scriptures tell us : 'Of all of thy get- 
tings, get wisdom, get understanding?' How am 
I to get wisdom if I am to fear investigation? 
Had everybody feared to investigate the world 
would still be in barbaric darkness. 

"Well, one morning, while in my sanctum 
sanctorium I had been foiled in producing a 
hoped-for result with a chemical experiment, and 



122 



the perplexity of the situation led me into the 
realms of metaphysical philosophy, and I had sur- 
rounded myself with piles of books, from which 
T was trying to extract some desired information 
when the thought dawned upon me. Ye Gods 
what a field of wonder. Like a child whose stom- 
ach is satisfied, but whose appetite is not, he cries 
because he cannot eat more of the good things 
before him. I wept because I found life too short 
to master even a few of those great volumes be- 
fore me, much less the mysteries of the universe. 

"I fancied I heard a rustling of draperies be- 
side me. I looked up and beheld the most beau- 
tiful creature that God ever conceived of. But, 
pshaw, has not this beautiful being come to me 
frequently from childhood, and each time she 
comes she looks more beautiful than ever before. 
But it was at this time she seemed more dear to 
me and more necessary to my life and being than 
at any other time since I met her, and so it is at 
this point I will introduce her to you." 

Dr.— "Will you describe her?" 

Prof — "Oh, God! Man, what do you ask? I 
describe her! I, who have a loving wife I have 
lived with for forty years, and children grown 
and fair, I love as my own life. I, who love ev- 
erything on God's footstool. How can I describe 
this beautiful one that seems to be filling my 
whole being with love infinite. No! I will let 
the description of such a glorious one dwell in 
the imagination of those whose fancy may lead 
to a certain type of beauty." 

Karmenia extended her hand and said : 



123 

"Oh! My beloved, why dost thou weep and 
ponder over these great volumes; dost thou not 
know that true wisdom cannot be found in books? 
Were you to master them all, your mind would 
only be a reservoir rilled with other men's 
thoughts. Weep not that your life is too short, 
for the Father, who never made anything in vain, 
never allows a thing to be lost in the laboratory 
of nature, will not let your experience be lost or 
shut up, but he gives you many lives wherein to 
extend your experiences and gain greater knowl- 
edge, than all these volumes contain. So come 
with me and get your knowledge from the foun- 
tain head. Go to your room and leave your body 
and we will read nature's books among the stars 
and planets. 

Prof. — "Karmenia led the way and after re- 
posing my body upon the bed we went forth into 
space, visiting planets, suns, systems, whose dis- 
tance is so far from earth it is inconceivable to 
the ordinary mind, hampered in this body of 
flesh. ,, 

Dr. — "Professor, by what means did you 
travel ?" 

Prof. — "We first gently floated away on cur- 
rents of air until we reached the upper strata, 
and then flew along at about forty miles an hour, 
while looking down at the receding landscape of 
our earth. We soon passed out of that vision and 
then took the electric currents to the Moon. 
After leaving the Moon we boarded a ray of light 
to visit the Sun, as you know a ray of light com- 
ing from the Sun travels nearly two hundred 



124 



thousand miles per second, or is eight minutes 
coming from the Sun, a ray of light going back 
from Earth to the Sun moves much slower, on ac- 
count of the friction of the greater current com- 
ing from the Sun. 

"When we came to visit stars so remote that 
it has taken millions of years for their light to 
reach us, traveling at the enormous speed of 190,- 
000 miles per second, it was altogether too slow 
travel for us, so in such cases we used the wings 
of thought. In fact, to witness the wonders of 
these vast bodies we were compelled to keep the 
wings of thought about us all of the time. Kar- 
menia being equal to the occasion, assisted my 
dull imagination to comprehend the wonders we 
beheld. In fact, she has explained life, where we 
came from, what we are here for, and where we 
are going to, and it is assigned to me to give this 
to the world. So I shall relate the stories of my 
experience from time to time. How we were fre- 
quently born on certain heavenly bodies and lived 
out long lives there, and then returned to find we 
had been away from earth but a few short hours." 

Dr. — "No doubt that would be very interest- 
ing, but I would like to hear about your trip last 
night." 

Prof. — "O ! Last night I retired a little earlier 
than usual, but could not sleep, when Karmenia 
came to me, saying she was ready to visit the 
Astroides, and as we were in no hurry to get 
there she began a conversation thus: 

"My Dear Beloved, you know I have taught 
you that thoughts are things, that there is noth- 



125 



ing in the universe but thought or God. In fact 
there is no room for anything but God. As "A 
house divided against itself cannot stand," there 
is no room for a devil, but good and evil are op- 
posing principles, or, in other words, evil is unfin- 
ished good, so it may as well be called devil as 
by any other name. I wish you to understand 
that mind and batter are one and the same thing. 
Mind could not express itself without something 
to express on, neither can something be nothing. 
As all matter is divisible into atoms and the 
atoms are on various planes of vibration and each 
individual atom a thinker, mind is always the 
higher vibration expressing themselves on the 
atoms in the lower plane of vibration. Your soul 
is one of these atoms, your spirit body, the King- 
dom of the soul, made up of these atoms attracted 
to it. The physical body, the souls on a lower 
vibration. These you are educating and drawing 
from to build greater your spiritual body, as you 
labor to raise their vibrations. Just as God is 
everything, the Sun a part of God, the Earth a 
part of the Sun, you are a part of the Earth, and 
once a part of your mother *so is one body a part 
of another throughout the Universe and all is 
one. So there are worlds and worlds within 
worlds, and 'There is nothing new under the Sun/ 
But what I wish to impress upon you is the one- 
ness of our Solar system. That Astrology is the 
basis of all religion, that the Sun worship is the 
oldest form of worship. Our Christian religion 
is a shadow of Sun worship. The ancient Astrol- 
ogers worshipped the Sun God as a representa- 



126 

tive of the real God. As every sign of the Zodiac 
gives to the person born under it his character- 
istics, and nature man was said to be made in the 
likeness and image of his Creator. Now we must 
remember that there are 12 signs of the Zodiac, 
Capricorn running from Decmber 22nd to Janu- 
ary 20th. 

''In ancient times when mankind knew not 
how to preserve and store food for winter as now, 
the winter was a terror, a period to be dreaded. 
They could not help but see that Sun was the life- 
giver, and they prayed for his return, and looked 
for his return for the salvation of men, so at the 
winter Solistic when the three days are of the 
same length, the Sun God entered, a new birth, 
was resurrected and rejoiced. In 30 days the 
Sun entered the sign Aquarius, the water-bearer 
— Baptismo . Remember with an Astrologer a 
day stands for a year, and Christ was baptized at 
the age of 30 years. After Christ's Baptism he 
took his disciples from among the fishermen. 
This is the type of the Sun passing from Aquarius 
into Pisces, the sign of the fishes. 

"Jesus then became the Good Shepherd of the 
flock in type of the Sun advancing into the sign 
of the lamb Aries, March 21st to April 19th. 
Christ now entered into the work of salvation of 
man, and the Sun God enters into the work of 
the salvation of men, through warming the earth, 
from April 19th to May 20th, called Taurus, rep- 
resented by the bull which was worshipped be- 
cause it represented agriculture, or seed time. 



127 

"Then comes Gemini, the twins, May 20th to 
June 21st, standing for increase. Now comes 
Cancer the Crab. This typifies the backslider, or 
vegetation retreating back into the earth on ac- 
count of the summer droughts. 

"Next comes the much talked of harvest, in 
the Christian world. The Sun enters the hot sign 
Leo, the Lion, intense heat, a harvest month. 
This is from July 22nd to August 23rd. 

"August 23rd to September 23rd the Sun tran- 
sits Virgo, the Virgin, where our Christian 
friends sup to the vestal virgin. 

"We have now reached Libra, September 23rd 
to October 23rd, symbolized by the balance which 
typifies the settling up of the affairs of the year, 
or which stands for judgment day. 

"The Sun now entered the malignant signs 
Scorpio and Sagittarius, the first of winter, where 
the Sun has lost all power at his weakest point. 
He is crucified between the two heavenly thieves, 
Scorpio, symbolized by the Scorpion, October 
23rd to November 22nd, and Sagittarius, sym- 
bolized by the Archer, November 22nd to Decem- 
ber 22nd. 

"These were called the two heavenly thieves 
because they had stolen the power of the Sun. 
But one of them, Sagittarius, repented, the re- 
pentent thief, because at the last degree he gives 
up and the Sun is reborn. Thus we see the Sun 
God is crucified the same as the Sun of God, and 
he desecnds into hades for three days, the three 
days of even length, before the resurrection of 
the new Sun God. 



128 



"Notice here the supposed birthday of Christ 
comes on the 25th day of December, the same day 
the Sun God is born for the new year and when 
the days begin to lengthen. 

There is one more simile to be noticed, and 
that is, Christ was betrayed. The Sun God was 
betrayed in this way. The ancients saw that every 
year the Sun retreated to the south, and cold and 
bitter winter followed, notwithstanding all of 
their prayers and sacrifices. This caused them 
to look into the heavens for a cause. They saw 
every fall as the Sun retreated to the south it was 
followed by a great array of stars coming above 
the horizon and seeming to follow the Sun. They 
noticed these heavenly bodies could not be seen 
at any other time of year. They also noticed a 
beautiful star in the east in the spring and sum- 
mer months. This was Venus, wmich they called 
Lucifer or light-bearer. But in the fall months 
they noticed this beautiful star had disappeared 
from the east and appeared in the west at the 
head of the array of heavenly bodies they named 
the dragon, so they wrote: 

" 'Art thou fallen from heaven, Oh ! Lucifer, 
Star of the Morning?' This is the story of war in 
heaven. 

"It is here manifest the story of the Christian 
religion is enacted by the Sun and stars, every 
year. But the masses could not understand this 
great science, so a man, Christ, is sent with a 
story in allegory as a type to aid in their under- 
standing of the great celestiac principle. But 
much of this has been lost sight of. 



129 

Another phase of the story is just as Christ 
had his 12 disciples so has the Sun his 12 satel- 
lite. Most Astronomers would scoff at this, but 
it would not be the first time scientists have ridi- 
culed an idea advanced by someone not of their 
exclusive class and then been compelled to 
acknowledge their error. But, my beloved, I will 
name these satellites. They are: 1st, Vulcan; 
2nd, Mercury; 3rd, Venues; 4th, Earth; 5th, 
Mars; 6th, Astroides; 7th, a dark planet between 
Astroides and Jupiter; 8th, Jupiter; 9th, Saturn; 
10th, Uranus; 11th, Neptune; 12th, Celestia. Ce- 
lestia is a planet not yet discovered but will be 
rediscovered in 1953. 

"I know you would ask me how the ancients 
could know of these planets when they had no 
telescopes? I will answer you by telling you the 
planet Uranus was discoverd first by noticing the 
erratic motion of Saturn, and then by the use of 
mathematics their positions were determined. 
We must remember that in over two thousand 
years the wisdom of man has not been able to 
add to or disprove one proposition of Euclid. 
Why? Because mathematics is divine. 

"I must also call your attention to the fact 
that there has been on earth a higher state of civ- 
ilizaion than you now have, and you have not one 
scientific discovery or mechanical invention that 
was not known an earth thousands and thou- 
sands of years ago. At the south pole it never 
stops snowing and never thaws; thus the snow 
and ice are piling up higher and higher until 
eventually it must topple over and deluge the 



130 

world in a tidal wave. This occurs every 13,000 
years, and every 26,000 years all civilization is 
blotted out and the earth is renewed. This is 
caused by the Sun in making his circuit in the 
great Zodiac. 

The Astroides were once a planet which was 
broken up into hundreds of fragments caused by 
internal convulsions. This represented Judas 
Iscariot, who committed suicide, and so de- 
stroyed his right as an individual influence in the 
Godhead of planets. 

"It is Ceries, the largest one of these bodies, 
we call on this time. 

" 'All aboard." 

"This cry called our attention to the fact that 
we had reached our destination, also that this lit- 
tle fragment of a planet is inhabited by people 
much like ourselves and who speak the English 
language. In fact every heavenly body, great or 
small, is inhabited, as everything is mind, com- 
posed of individual atoms all bent on forming 
organisms fitted to their conditions and environ- 
ment. But as these conditions are continually 
changing to a higher order, these organisms are 
continually struggling to improve their organ- 
isms. 

"When you consider that nature never repeats 
herself exactly, never makes two things just 
alike, you will understand we can never find two 
planets, or two places on one planet, just alike. 

"If you will take into consideration that the 
planet Ceries is only 1600 miles in diameter or but 



131 

4800 miles in circumference, against the 8000 
miles diameter and 25,000 miles circumference of 
the earth, and that it is three times the distance 
from the Sun that the Earh is, you will readily 
see the conditions are far different from those of 
the Earth. Then again the Sun should appear to 
Ceries but one-third the size it does to us. While 
the fact is, it appears larger and gives greater 
heat and light. We know it is the density of our 
atmosphere that the Sun's rays pass through 
which gives us our heat and light, because above 
our atmosphere it is very cold and the Sun ap- 
pears to the observer of a pale, sickly hue. 

"The breaking up of the great planet Iscariot 
into small bodies surrounded those bodies with a 
nebula of dust and atmosphere, which the Sun's 
rays and the rays of Jupiter illuminate and heat 
so there is eternal day on Ceries; yet this is mod- 
fled by the motion of the planet, to the extent of 
giving it periods corresponding to our night and 
day and to our seasons, and this is the only one of 
the hundreds of asteroids so situated as they all 
differ somewhat. 

"We found just about the same difference be- 
tween the habits and customs of the people of 
Ceries and the United States that we find between 
the States of the far north and far south, except 
that the people of Ceries resemble the people of 
the middle states, and are further advanced in 
civilization than the people anywhere on Earth. 
Commerce, hotels, railroads, electric lines. In 
fact we had landed near a depot and it was the 
cry of a buss driver that had attracted our atten- 



132 

tion and assured us we had arrived at our des- 
tination. 

"We entered the buss and were carried to City 
Hotel No. 39. How Karmenia satisfied the buss 
driver I do not know. But I learned the name of 
the city is New Jerusalem. It sits on the shore of 
a beautiful body of water called the Sea of Azod. 

"The planet being on so small a scale, of 
course the land, the sea and the mountains are on 
a correspondingly small scale, and being sur- 
rounded as it is by this luminous matter the tem- 
perature is very even over the whole planet, no 
higher or lower at either pole or equator. 

"The seasons change, as it changes its relative 
positions to its sister Asteroids. 

"The population is dense, though evenly dis- 
tributed over the whole planet. 

"New Jerusalem, as it is called, is the capitol 
city of this little world. This city is so called be- 
cause it is a perfect city. Every inhabitant was 
once an inhabitant of our Earth who loved justice 
more than wealth, who banished every particle of 
selfishness and hatred while on the Earth or after 
leaving this earth and dwelling on Mars for a 
time. 

"Karmenia introduced me to the Mayor, and 
he to other officials. 

"The Mayor asked me to name the wishes 
nearest my heart. I replied that I would like to 
know all about their customs and mode of gov- 
ernment. " 

Said he, "That is quickly told. All power is 
vested in the people. They initiate all laws and 
rules, and all matters of government are referred 



133 



back to them to be voted upon at our annual elec- 
tions, so we have no superfluous laws to become 
a dead letter." 

"But," said I, "You must have executive offi- 
cers, an army and navy." He laughed heartily as 
he said: 

"For what do we want of an army and navy? 
Since our nearest neighbor is thousands of miles 
away, and inaccessible to our air ships for any 
considerable commercial intercourse and we have 
no rivalry among our districts, for of course we 
are divided into districts for executive and com- 
mercial purposes." 

"Well," I replied, "you have certainly escaped 
great evils in that direction." 

Said he : "A few years ago we had a number of 
politicians sent to us from Earth, but as our As- 
trologers know the nature of people who come to 
us, before they are born into this world, these 
people were watched and as soon as they devel- 
oped a desire to devise means for the conquest of 
Pallis, our largest neighbor, they were sent to 
Mars, the God of War, where they had war to 
their satisfaction. When they returned they were 
as meek as the rest of us." 

I asked, "Could not these people be taught the 
evils of war without sending them back to Mars ?" 

"No," he replied. "In the economy of God, 
experience is the only teacher. On your earth 
such things are covered up, not cured, and your 
earth is a world of hypocrisy. We must travel 
from planet to planet to obtain experience to en- 
joy more because we know more." 



134 

Said I, "It is now clear to me what Christ 
meant when he said 'In my father's house there 
are many mansions.' " 

"Exactly," said he. "You can now see why 
we have no strife here. Those who desire strife 
or express great selfishness are immediately put 
into an asylum where they can harm no one until 
it is their time for a change of planets." 

"You of course have a legal, a judiciary and 
a police system, have you not?" 

"Emphatically, No Sir," he replied. 

"Having come from Zenda your Earth, we 
know too well your false systems. For we forget 
nothing of our former lives when born here, and 
I remember too well your 60,000 Judges, in the 
United States, from Justice court to Supreme 
bench. All receiving from fifteen hundred to ten 
thousand dollars per year. Then each court must 
have at least two, sometimes five or six attaches 
or high paid clerks, stenographers or other offi- 
cials. Then each are attended by from two to a 
dozen lawyers, and these are a class of men from 
which Judges must emanate, and you know that 
the idea is so prevalent that an honest lawyer 
does not live, because his very business makes 
him dishonest, that a professor of a law college 
when asked if he thought it was possible for a 
lawyer to live and be honest, replied: 
" 'Yes, if he don't practice law.' 

"Now add to this large body of men your con- 
stable and police force, and you have an army of 
millions of men, all non-producers, all drawing 
better pay than the real producer and some draw- 



135 

ing enormous salaries, many times greater than 
they could earn at anything else. If this were not 
so they would not seek these positions, often at 
great cost and risk of loss if they do not get the 
the office. Even in this class the man who does 
the most work, or risks his life, receives the small- 
est pay. 

"With all of this taxation upon the real pro- 
ducer you cannot win a suit against a great cor- 
poration or convict a rich man, or if on rare occa- 
sions you convict a man of money, his pardon 
will soon be secured, and for the short time he is 
in prison he lives in luxury, not on the fare of a 
poor man who was driven, by hunger, to steal a 
loaf of bread. There is absolutely no protection 
for the poor man. No justice for the people who 
are so heavily taxed to keep up this false system. 
Even if the rich are taxed, every dollar of wealth 
must first be produced by labor. 

"It is a common expression on your streets, 
'We have plenty of law but no justice.' Is it any 
wonder one of your greatest statesmen (Thomas 
Jefferson) said, 'The seeds of national dissolu- 
tion will be found in your Judiciary system/ You 
are taxed to support colleges to educate a class of 
people who set themselves up for your masters, 
who vote themselves privileges, tyrannize over 
you. They get these privileges not because of 
their wisdom but because of their selfishness and 
gall." 

I had to admit all he said was too true, for I 
remember how I had been robbed of $500 by 
wrongs perpetrated by a Court of Equity. And 



136 

I asked to be further informed concerning the 
system of governing Ceries. Said he: "In the 
first place we do not consider one man of any- 
more value than another, but believe what your 
Bible teaches you that 'To him to whom much is 
given much will be required of him.' 

"You treat your horses with more considera- 
tion, in this respect, than you treat your men. 
You give the small horse the long end of the 
evener, thus putting the bulk of the load on the 
large and strong horse, while with your men you 
put the burdens of life on the poor and the weak, 
and to the powerful and strong, short hours and 
light labor are given; you vote them enormous 
and unreasonable salaries, for their questionable 
services. 

"If it were not for their great selfishness they 
would not seek it. You honor such people. We 
place them in asylums as a class dangerous to the 
interests of the commonwealth. 

"As I said before, here all legislation emanates 
from the people and is voted on by the people. 
Our laws are few and simple, and any man who 
willfully breaks them, is immediately confined in 
an asylum, where he is carefully looked after. 
But here let me state we have very little to incite 
men to commit crime. All manufacturing and 
commercial or business enterprise is conducted 
by the state. We have a just distribution of the 
products of labor. There can be no interest on 
money or bonded robbery, no profits in rents to 
build up a powerful privilege and leisure class to 
rule over the weak and enslaves the masses. 



137 

"If a man is physically great and needs more 
food and clothing than his physically weak bro- 
ther he gets it just as you give your big horse 
more than you do your little horse. If he be men- 
tally strong and reuires more favorable condi- 
tions to expand his forces he is given the opportu- 
nity, but both are required to return an equiva- 
lent to the state. 

"As no man here is allowed to work for wages 
more than four hours per day no serious task can 
be placed upon any one. So where there is no 
great advantage to be gained there is no incen- 
tive to crime. We have no paupers, no criminals, 
no poor houses, no prisons except asylums, and 
one who loses his liberty of participation in our 
commonwealth by being sent to an asylum, if he 
ever gains his freedom, it is never necessary to 
send him to an asylum again. " 

"For all of that men have passions, jealousies 
and differences in opinions which cause overt 
acts, which favorable system can hardly over- 
come," I cried. 

"Yes," he replied. "And we have simple laws 
to govern such matters and a few chosen men to 
execute the laws, whose only remuneration above 
the wage worker is the honor his position gives 
him." 

"You have no inducements to invention or 
elevation of man?" I asked. 

"Oh, yes," he replied. "Such get honorable 
records and early retirement from all public work 
except what their inclinations lead them. Can 
your rich men whose system, which makes pau- 



138 

pers and criminals, slaves and cruel taskmasters, 
ever get more than a little honor and leisure, 
which is bought with sorrow, blood and crimes, 
bringing to them as much hatred as honor?" 

"Would to God we had such a system on 
earth," I said. 

He answered: "Our Astrologers tell us it is 
about to come to you for a time, but not until 
after terrible wars about to take place when the 
people will tire of fighting for the benefit of rich 
men while they get merely the crumbs from the 
table. The people will turn upon their wealthy 
masters worse than your Paris commune of 1798, 
and commercial and bonded slavery will go the 
way of chattel slavery, and righteous government 
of and by the people will reign for a thousand 
years, and then?" 

There were many more things I would have 
liked to speak of, but Karmenia came in and cried : 

"Come, beloved, ring off, we must go on with 
our exploring and return to Earth. You can 
learn more of the systems and customs of these 
people at some other time." 

So I bid the Mayor good-bye and we went on 
with our explorations above and below the Earth 
of Ceries. But this story must be left for some 
future time. 

After a long and tiresome journey Karmenia 
and I put on our wings of thought and swiftly re- 
turned to Earth. 



139 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Was This an Evidence of a Former Life ; If Not, 
What Was It? 

"Is this reincarnation? 

"Judge not that ye be not judged. For what judgment ye judge, ye 
shall be judged, and with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to 
you." — St. Matthew, VII ; 1-2. 

"Give not that which is holy Unto the dogs; neither cast your pearls 
before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and 
rend you." — St. Matthew, VII; 6. 

In 1906 I had a class of occult students develop- 
ing psychic powers, clair voyancy, psychrome- 
tric readings and other branches of occult stu- 
dies. 

Among this group of young ladies was a 

Miss , a beautiful and accomplished 

young Scotch girl. She was a stenographer and 
shorthand writer and her duties gave her plenty 
of time for study along the lines she most liked. 
She was a full-fledged spiritualist with inclina- 
tions toward theosophy; with her permission I 
am telling this story. 

With the spring of 1907, my class had finished 
its winter course and broken up for the spring. 

One pleasant spring afternoon Neta came in 
somewhat frustrated and cried, "Oh, Mr. Stowe, 
I have come for help." 

"What is the matter?" I asked. 

"Oh, the firm I worked for has sold out, I have 
lost my situation. I have no money ahead and 
I do not know what I am going to do." 




140 

She had a good voice and at that time restaur- 
ant keepers were employing singers to entertain 
their customers while eating their dinners. "And 
suppose/' I suggested, "You give that a trial 
while you are trying to get a new situation as a 
stenographer/' 

She did so, but soon found her voice too weak, 
and she appealed to me again for help, and begged 
me to unloose my clairvoyant powers and take a 
look ahead for her. This I did with the follow- 
ing results, which I gave in the following man- 
ner: 

"Neta, I see you stopping at a hotel dinner 
table, where you meet a gentleman, who seems 
to be a pretty decent sort of a man, pretty well 
thought of, yet full of trouble. He will take a 
liking for you and offer marriage, and I believe 
it would be the best thing you could do to accept 
him." 

"What is his business," she inquired. 

"He has a farm, or ranch they call it in Cali- 
fornia, where he raises blooded stock and he 
travels to the race courses, where he sells it, and 
lingers and sells other horses. 

"By the way, I begin to see his home. He has 
a wife and four children, and yet he has no wife; 
there never was a marriage, yet they lived to- 
gether, and raised four children, until another 
man took her and the children and left Mr. H., 
and he could do nothing, as there never was a 
marriage, and I believe he will commit suicide 
unless something happens to take his attention, 
and that right soon. I think that something else 



141 



will be his meeting- you." 

Here she burst out: "Oh, Mr. Stowe; would 
you have me marry a man who already has a 
wife and children?" 

I replied: "He is no worse off than you are; 
both of you are in nearly the same unfortunate 
position." 

"What do you mean?" she exclaimed with an 
apparent shock. 

"Well," said I, "you are a young Scotch girl, 
born in London, England. You were sent to 
Rome to be educated. While at school there a 
young German came along and married you, and 
he had no right to marry you, as he had a wife. 
He married her for her wealth. She married him 
for his manly beauty, and he had certain days he 
was out in public with her, otherwise she paid 
little attention to him, or he to her, so he more 
often slept at his business place than at home, 
and that enabled him to take you right into his 
business place and to live in rooms in the rear 
of his office. You were a great help to him in 
his business, I judge." 

"Photography," she quickly replied. 

"Oh," I exclaimed, "then it is all true." She 
was dumb, but showed excitement. 

"Well," said I, "this might have gone on much 
longer but there was a child born. The child died. 
This exposed him, or would have done so but 
for a careful handling of the matter and his send- 
ing you to America to get rid of you. So I can- 
not see, my dear girl, that this man is any worse 
off than you are." 



142 



"My God!" she cried. "Can such things be 
told in detail, so accurately?" 

"Yes," I replied, "and no secrets are safe from 
a good Clairvoyant, though the Clairvoyant may 
not always be able to prove his statements." 

Some ten days later, one evening she came in, 
followed by a man, and she cried: "Well, here 
is that man." 

I arose and was introduced to a man about 46 
years of age. He seemed somewhat excited as 
he cried: "My God, Mister, did you tell this girl 
those things about me? Yet it must be you did, 
for nobody but a wizard could do such a thing, 
for no one here knows anything about my affairs, 
and what she has told me is all true, even to my 
contemplating suicide." 

These people were finally married and seemed 
to get along finely together. 

His business affairs carried them away from 
the city of Detroit for months at a time, but al- 
ways on their return one, or both would undoubt- 
edly call on me. 

I have two offices, one in my home where I 
generally meet callers who come to see me con- 
cerning my literary matters, or my professional 
work, the other next door, where I prepare mat- 
ter for the press and meet people on more general 
business matters, and where I do some other 
work of preparing work for the press and mail- 
ing matter. 

There are two doors entering this office, one 
from the street in front, the other from the rear. 

One morning while at work in the front part 



143 

of the office I saw Neta's head rise above the 
banister as she came from the rear door. 

Said I : "Neta, I knew you would come in to 
see me today, for I had a dream about you last 
night." 

She replied at once: "And so did I have a 
dream about you, and I could not wait a minute 
but hurried up here. We just came to town and 
I sent my husband to hunt some rooms and I 
came up here." 

"But," said I, "my dream carried me back to 
ancient chivalry, in the days of knighthood and 
brazen arms." 

"And so did mine," she cried, "and you had 
to go to war." 

"Yes," I replied, "and I had to take your 
horse." 

"Yes, sir," said she, "because yours was lame. 
I will describe the horses." 

"Wait," said I. "Here is paper and pencil; let 
us each describe the horses by writing and see 
if our dreams were alike." 

Here is about what I wrote "The horses were 
mates, a pair of dapple grays; mine was the near 
horse, but was lame in the left fore foot. I was 
compelled to take your saddle because mine was 
out of order." 

Here is what she wrote: "The horses were a 
matched pair of heavy dapple grays; mine, or the 
one I called min, was the off horse. You had to 
take my saddle because yours was broken, or in 
other words, my saddle was a man's military 
saddle changed over for a woman. On your sad- 



144 



die was an iron staple for the strap that held the 
lance handle. It was broken but was all right 
on my saddle and we exchanged saddles as well 
as horses/' 

Said I : "Neta, you must have been more to 
me then than now." 

She threw up her hands and cried out: "Oh, 
Mr. Stowe; I did not see you like an old gentle- 
man, but a much more powerful man than you 
ever could be in this life — and we lived in a castle 
on the hills. My God, Mr. Stowe, we were man 
and wife; you were my husband, and I never saw 
you again in that life." 

My dear reader, was that an evidence of a 
former life? 

These people soon went to California and I 
never saw them again, and later she wrote me 
stating they had quarreled and she was divorced. 

Less than a year ago she became the wife of a 
prominent army officer. 

One of many strange experiences of 

LYMAN E. STOWE. 

We Form a Spiritual Investigators' Society, or 
Society Within a Society. 

A, c these meetings were held at irregular times 
and places and with no intention of giving our 
findings to the world, these findings and interest- 
ing narratives related here did not take place in 
regular order, but from time to time as conditions 
presented themselves, and the earlier stories 
were told from memory alone, some were acci- 
dental discoveries and some of one investigating 
society and some of another. 



145 



I have a vast number of sketches, and stories, 
and experiences I intended to publish here, but 
I see the end of life drawing to a close and I 
must cut them out. 

My mother comes to me, many years after her 
passing away, and with such positive, forceful 
evidence of spirit return that no one could think 
of an excuse, or denial of truth. I am cured of 
a pain in my back suddenly, thirty years after the 
cause, and a thousand and one other interesting 
stories. But they must be given up. 

I promised some strange rat and cat stories; 
also some stories of black and white magic, which 
would have been of immense value to the world, 
but they will have to be cut out and the reader 
•cautioned that eternal vigilance is the price of 
liberty; that today the mightiest conspiracy is 
going on to bind the masses of the world into 
slavery to the classes, but which will destroy 
the classes. Yet it is God's will and I must keep 
my fingers off. 



146 



CHAPTER XX. 

Karmenia Becames Disgusted With Me Because 
I Became an Adventist. 

Alas what sorrow may he wrought 
Through broken vows and fickle mind, 

And what sad lessons may be taught 
Through nature's arts, of every kind. 

— Stowe. 

After my return home from the war my atten- 
tion was drawn in so many different directions 
I am afraid I sadly neglected Karmenia. First, 
I had many messages and mementoes to deliver 
for my comrades who remained in the field, then 
I had a great many friends to call on, and sights 
to see, having been away from home for over 
three years. Besides I was just budding into 
manhood and met many charming young ladies 
who lavished their smiles and attentions on the 
young soldier just returned from the field of 
action. 

Karmenia was at times quite jealous, and chided 
me for not paying more attention to study and 
search for knowledge. Then there was another 
thing that necessarily claimed my attention. I 
needs must labor to live and I must choose some 
profession or occupation for a livlihood. This 
was no easy task, for I being very ambitious and 
planetary influence at my birth fitted me for too 
many occupations, and being born near noon 
time made me rather unstable, and worst of all 
I was born in the sign Aries, that sign which 
produces such strong individuality and independ- 



147 



ence of nature that it causes most people, born in 
that sign, to be naturally rebellious, and I am no 
exception to the rule. Worse still than all the 
rest, I have Uranus for a ruling planet, which 
adds to my independence as well as to my great 
desire for knowledge of the truth, no matter what 
it leads to. So many disturbing elements not 
only led me into many and varied occupations, 
as well as to investigate every religious theory, 
and to do strange and unusual things in search 
of knowledge, not always commendable to those 
who could not understand my purpose. Then 
my sympathies for humanity, also for the lower 
life, has had a tendency to make my pathway a 
rough,, hard and sometimes a very unpleasant 
one. Thanks to Karmenia, she has often helped 
me to smooth the way. She even entered into 
my love affairs, and then laughed at me for my 
absurd mixups. 

I will not tire the reader with my many experi- 
ences foreign to our subject, though they might 
be very interesting in their way ,for my experi- 
ences have been varied and broad. 

In the fall of 1865 I came to Detroit and en- 
gaged in table making. My wife was born in 
Detroit, and we were then keeping company. Her 
people were Adventists and she exerted a con- 
siderable influence over me, and urged me to call 
on a Mr. Donaldson and become better posted in 
the Advent theory. 

I had not been as much of a student of the 
Bible as I ought to have been, so my conversation 
with Mr. Donaldson ran something like this : 



148 

Mr. Donaldson: "First of all, Mr. Stowe, do 
you believe in the Bible?" 

"Yes, sir." I could answer no other way. 

"Then sir, your only hope is in the resurrec- 
tion," and he quoted an endless array of Bible 
passages to prove it. 

"But, Mr. Donaldson, will all men be resur- 
rected?" I asked. 

"Oh, no," he replied. "Only a very, very few. 
Those who accept our faith and are baptized can 
possibly hope for a future life, and even many of 
them must perish at the judgment day." 

"My dear Mr. Donaldson," I exclaimed, "is not 
God an all-merciful, all-wise God?" 

"Certainly," said he. 

"Then do you tell me He created the untold 
millions of people who have gone before and 
who are here, and yet to come, to say nothing of 
the lower animals, to suffer and die, and there be 
no recompense for it, and only a little handful of 
people who believe in your theory can be saved?" 

"If you believe the Bible, this is the only way," 
he replied. 

"No !" said I. "Other Christians say the wicked 
live, but — but — " 

He laughed and said: "Yes, they claim they 
live, but live in an eternal hell of torture, and that 
whole theory is absurd." And he quoted a big lot 
of Scripture to prove it. 

"But," said I, "you think they are wrong and 
so die an eternal death, and they think you are 
wrong and are to be damned." 



149 

"Well, you must believe the Bible," he returned. 

"But how am I to decide between you?" I asked. 

"That is for you to decide, you must admit ours 
is the most reasonable and humane theory," said 
he. 

Of course I had to admit his theory was an 
improvement over hell. Besides I must believe 
every word of the Bible ; it would be disgraceful 
to deny it. Alas, how little did I know, the Bible 
in all of its beauty and wisdom, was like an old 
fiddle on which could be played a thousand tunes. 
Then my heart went out to the untold millions 
who had no hope, even the poor old devil, if there 
was one, had my sympathy, for an all powerful 
God could even change him and make him good 
if he wanted to. So I asked Mr. Donaldson: 
"Don't you think God is so good He will in some 
way save all, even the poor old devil." 

I must have presented a very pleading coun- 
tenance, for Mr. Donaldson laughed and said in 
a kindly tone: "Do you want to shake hands 
with the devil?" 

"Yes," said I. "If he is made good, why not? 
and God is all wise, all merciful, and all power- 
ful. He will certainly save all." 

I distinctly felt Karmenia kiss me as she whisp- 
ered in my ear, "you are right." 

I then asked Mr. Donaldson what would be the 
occupation of the saints and he replied: "They 
will sit with Christ and judge the world." 

I threw up my hands in despair, then said I, 
"I cannot be saved." 

"Why," he asked. 



150 

"Because," I replied, "I would not be fit to 
judge, I would let every soul go free, including 
the devil." Just then the words came to me, 
"Judge not lest ye be judged," Karmenia whisper- 
ed and said, "That is right, every one shall be 
judged of their own actions, and if you can be so 
merciful and just to others you need have little 
fear for yourself." 

Mr. Donaldson showed me my only hope was 
in the Bible, and in his version of it at that. Not 
being well posted I was compelled to admit he 
was right, and so I finally gave way and accepted 
the Adventist faith and was baptised, but my 
heart was still with the old Methodist church, as 
it was through that I was converted, though I 
never became .a member of it. 

Karmenia and I held long arguments over my 
decisions and she upbraided me for, what she 
claimed, was my folly in letting my love for my 
intended influence me in the matter, as she said 
I was forgetting my pledge to her. But I denied 
it and said, "I am seeking truth as much as ever." 

"No," said she, "You have accepted a theory, 
which you will some day have to renounce or 
cease to seek for truth, because creeds are inimi- 
cal to the search for truth and a stumbling block 
in the way of obtaining wisdom." 

God of Heaven, again I had made a sad mis- 
take. I had done just what I should not have 
done, and Karmenia was always sad. But as my 
attention was so taken with my love and mar- 
riage, I paid little attention to Karmenia, religion, 
or search for wisdom or truth. So I saw little of 



151 

Karmenia for many years. Oh, my beloved Kar- 
menia, how can you forgive my broken vows, my 
casting you off for another. Oh, loved one, can 
we ever meet again? Such were my often sad re- 
flections. 
Karmenia Brings More Tests of the Truth of 

Spirit Return, and the Peculiar Phenomena 
of Spirit Manifestation. 

The closing remarks of one of the investiga- 
tors, a college professor, awoke an entirely new 
line of thought among the students of our so- 
cieties, which called forth my'best efforts. 

All agreed that I had a decided advantage over 
the professor, in argument, and wondered how it 
was possible a mere amateur student could pos- 
sibly get the best of an argument with a college 
professor, while others declared that if what I 
had stated were true, (i e.) that I was assisted by 
unseen beings, the whole matter was accounted 
for. 

Of course this brought out some ridicule, and 
some war discussion, and I was appealed to for 
an explanation. 

I simply quoted Scripture, and said "God takes 
the small things of this world to confound the 
wise." (See Matthew 11-25). "Thou hast hid 
these things from the wise and prudent, and has 
revealed them unto babes." 

Nearly all of the great achievements of the 
world have been brought about through the 
agency of men who never attended a day of 
school, in a college building. Even the greatest 
military men were never found at the head of 



152 

their class, in a military school, and some of them 
attempted suicide because of the handicap through 
lack of early education and social advantages, 
(Napoleon, the First, for instance), before suc- 
cess began to smile upon them. It was this loud 
cry to Deity for aid that awoke the spirit who 
came to their rescue. 

The question was here asked, "Do you really 
believe in spirit return?" My reply was, "I have 
had some strange experiences I can account for in 
no other way." 

Well, says one, "if spirits can return, why do 
they not come to any of us, or manifest through 
some educated person instead of through me- 
diums, always, or nearly always of a lower grade 
of intelligence?" 

My reply was: "If you want to send a tele- 
gram to a friend in a distant city, why do you go 
to a telegraph operator? Why do you not send 
it yourself?" 

"Oh, of course, I am not a telegraph operator," 
was the retort. 

"Neither is the college professor a medium," 
said I. 

I continued, "The telegraph operator may be 
well fitted for a telegraph operator, but a poor 
college professor, or teacher, and the college pro- 
fessor may be well adapted for his work, if you 
tried to make a medium of him the chances are 
he would be quoting so much Latin, or stale stuff 
of past ages, or learned lore, he could not grasp 
the minor details of the telegraph operator, or 
the spirit medium." 



153 

"Ah, yes," said another, "but why do the spir- 
its demand darkness, or other outlandish condi- 
tions?" asked another. 

I replied, by asking, "Why do you need a dark 
room to develop a picture, or why cannot you see 
the stars by daylight as well as by night? They 
are all up there just the same. If you change the 
conditions and go to the bottom of a deep well 
you can see the stars by day light. " 

Again I was asked, "Why hasn't these things 
been discovered before?" 

I replied by asking, "Why has not all of the 
many fine inventions, or other great discoveries 
been made before, is it not because the world was 
not ready for them, and they were not perfected 
with the first production?" While my answers 
to all objections were generally satisfactory, there 
were members of the club who became very in- 
dignant to think our club should so far forget its 
aims and purposes as to become a mere debating 
society, to air the views of the supporters of an 
"exploded theory," as they called it. 

Some went so far as to declare spiritualism was 
condemned by the Bible, and by all intelligent 
people and if there be such a thing as a manifesta- 
tion of unseen powers it is surely the works of 
the devil. 

A young lady stepped forward, and in a high 
pitch of voice, accompanied with a merry laugh, 
asked the gentleman who made the last assertion, 
and who seemed to be such a strong friend of a 
devil, if he would kindly explain why the Great 
God of the Universe would permit his Satanic 



154 

majesty such tremendous powers and liberties 
for deceiving the people, that He would not exer- 
cise Himself to enlighten the people, or permit 
poor weak man to exercise, to assist his friends 
in knowing the truth? Would not such a God be 
even worse than that devil? "It seems to me," 
she said, "You have more confidence and faith 
in your devil than in our God." 

This brough forth a storm of applause, as well 
as of condemnation and a club of reasoners be- 
came a body of wranglers. As this was after the 
club had adjourned the hall was quickly cleared. 
Though not until arrangements were made for 
calling a body together for the investigation of 
spirit phenomena. 

On the road home Karmenia was full of glee, 
and said she would have a surprise for me the 
next day. It came as follows: 

I was called on, in early morning, by a number 
of persons who were present the night before, 
who insisted on calling a meeting that very even- 
ing, for the purpose of investigating spirit phe- 
nomena, and all occult matters. I was asked if I 
could not relate some experiences that would 
awaken interest, yet lay open for discussion. I 
replied that I thought I could, but that they 
should remember that my experiences could be of 
no value to them, they must rely on their own 
experiences for satisfaction. 

I sold out my business at 121 Gratiot Avenue, 
before mentioned, and in 1887 to 1894 was at the 
head of an extensive commercial house, and my 
office and carpet room was used for meeting pur- 
poses. 



155 

In the fall of 1862, just after the battle of An- 
tietam, my regiment, the Second Michigan In- 
fantry, was ordered from Washington to Ed- 
ward's Ferry on the upper Potomac. 

In consequence of lameness caused by bad 
shoes, myself and two other comrades were told 
to step out of the ranks and report to the orderly 
sergeant next day, which we did. 

We were hobbling along as best we could, and 
three of us got pretty well behind everything and 
everybody else of the command. 

Before dark, clouds gathered thick and heavy 
and threatened an all night's rain, so we con- 
cluded it best to seek shelter of some sort, so we 
entered a corn field, where the corn had been cut 
and stood in the shock. We placed several loose 
rails up against the top of the fence, running 
slantwise down to the ground, first placing on the 
ground several shocks of corn stalks. We now 
covered the rails with corn stalks, making a 
thatched roof, so perfect that no amount of rain 
would soak through. This gave us a splendid shel- 
ter for the night. Though the rain had begun fall- 
ing we built a little fire and fried a few slices of 
bacon, and made some coffee for our supper, and 
were fortunate enough to be able to eat our sup- 
per under our shelter, and as it was some little 
time before dark, we passed the time telling 
stories, and relating experiences of various kinds. 
Finally our conversation drifted to the possibility 
of spirit return. 

I was then a boy of 20 years. One of my com- 
rades was about my own age, and the other an 



156 

Irishman of 40 years of age, said he : "Boys, I am 
twice as old as either of you, and unless you are 
killed in battle, in all probability I shall die many 
years before either of you do, and if I do I shall 
return to let you know I can come back." 

As I was the one to introduce the subject he 
said to me, "Comrade, I see your stockings are 
very bad, and I have an extra pair; they have my 
name stitched in them — 'George Freeman.' By 
that you will remember my name, and I will men- 
tion this event, and the giving you a pair of stock- 
ings. I am a firm believer in spirit return, and 
shall surely come to you." 

Although this man was a member of my regi- 
ment, and I was in the service a year and a half 
after that event, I do not remember ever see- 
ing the comrade after reporting to our respective 
companies the next day, and in consequence of 
the active service and many events crowding on 
to my young mind, I do not iremember ever 
thinking of the event until the spirit of Comrade 
Freeman called my attention to it over thirty 
years later. 

While attending to my business, selling house- 
hold goods on weekly and monthly installments, 
I did much of the collecting myself. Among my 
customers was a Mrs. Perry and her daughter, 
both widow ladies, and firm believers in spirit 
return. On one occasion when in casual conver- 
sation on the subject, the mother stopped short, 
and then said: "Mr. Stowe, there is the spirit of 
a man here who wishes me to tell you he has come 



157 

to fulfill his promise to return to you. He says 
he is an Irishman, and was a comrade, his name 
is George Freeman. " 

I began thinking as if speaking to myself, 
"George Freeman ; I never knew but one George 
Freeman; he was a small boy, for a short time 
a schoolmate, never a comrade." 

Said she, "He says he gave you a pair of stock- 
ings in a cornfield. " I replied, "I do not remem- 
ber any one ever giving me a pair of stockings in 
a cornfield. " 

It may seem strange that I should forget such 
an event, and such a true comrade, but so many 
startling events, as come into an active soldier's 
life, crowded the matter out of my young mind, 
or covered it up under the debris of more strik- 
ing events. 

It was weeks prior to the day of the meeting 
just called, and I had considered the incident a 
mere imagination of an over zealous believer in 
spirit return, when pondering over what I could 
recite to our interested people, when, like a shot, 
as if some unseen power was impressing the scene, 
in the cornfield, on my memory, caused me to 
again call on Mrs. Perry, who once more an- 
nounced the presence of my old comrade; this 
was the promised surprise Karmenia had in store 
for me. 

That very evening I was called upon to relate 
some incident of my experience, I, of course, re- 
lated this when some of these credulous people 
who are ready to believe a foolish heaven and hell 
theory, because it has been believed so long, de- 



158 

manded to know if there was not some other way 
of explaining the matter. I replied by asking, 
"Will not some of these people who can believe 
an all merciful God will make a devil so very wise 
and powerful to deceive poor weak men, find an 
explanation for this phenomena, or tell me how 
Mrs. Perry, whom I had known but about two 
years, could have known anything of this event 
of over 30 years before and of which I had en- 
tirely forgotten, if it was not the spirit of this 
comrade who came to fulfill his promise?" 

Of course there was the usual silly charge of 
the devil. I replied, ''It strikes me that any ex- 
planation of this matter, other than the return 
of the spirit of Comrade Freeman, would be a 
greater phenomena than the return of the spirit 
itself." 

Some one asked, "What good, or what good 
advice ever came out of spirit communication?" 

I first replied by asking, "What good ever came 
out of any religious meeting?" 

This brought up a hot retort saying that we 
should credit, to the Christian religion, all of the 
civilization there is on the face of the globe. As 
there was an outburst of contemptuous disgust 
from the majority of those present, who were 
versed in the history of the Christian religion, it 
was not necessary for me to make a reply only so 
far as to relate another experience that I had but 
a short time before. 

During my business life I did a good deal of 
business with a wholesale jeweler, a Mr. Ken- 
nedy. This gentleman was well along in years, 



159 



and a very fine man, one only had to know the 
man to love him for his integrity, and kindness of 
heart. Because of some business reverses he be- 
came unbalanced and committed suicide. 

I had talked with Mr. Kennedy on the subject 
of spirit manifestation and as he seemed to think 
something unusual was soon to happen that 
would take him off, he said if it did, he would re- 
turn to me. 

I wish to state here that I am passing over a 
period back and forth of several years, from the 
date of my first investigations, so that the reader 
may not be confused with an apparent connection 
in dates, later I will be more direct and perfect 
in my dates, as I learned the necessity of doing 
so. But when I first began my investigation I 
had no idea of giving those investigations to the 
public. 

One day a Mr. Hall came into my office, he said 
he was from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was a 
spiritual medium. 

I had converted my large carpet salesroom into 
a meeting place, and there were a number of 
chairs, and a few tables in the L_ 

Mr. Hall and myself frequently went upstairs 
and held a little seance of our own. Mr. Hall 
was a fine clairvoyant, and- though we might sit 
at one end of the hall, sharp raps would be heard 
all over the hall, on the chairs, on the tables or 
windows. 

At one of our society meetings, Mr. Hall said, 
"Mr. Stowe, here is a man who offers you a tray 



of jewelry. : 



160 

"Describe him," said I. 

He did so, but I did not recognize him, as I was 
not thinking of him, or had not seen him for 
some time prior to his death. 

Finally I said, "Ask him his name." 

He replied, "He says his name is Kennedy, and 
that he used to sell you a good deal of jewelry." 

"That is true," said I, "but ask Mr. Kennedy if 
there is anything in particular he would like to 
speak to me about?" 

He apparently asked the question and then said 
to me. "Mr. Kennedy says he wishes you would 
do all you can to discourage suicide, for it is very 
wrong to take one's own life, he has learned for 
himself, as he committed suicide by cutting his 
own throat." 

At this point one of the young ladies present 
spoke up and said, ''There it is. That ought to be 
plain to you. This is the work of the devil; this 
man committed suicide, and he is suffering in hell, 
and you are listening to the works of the devil." 

Another young lady replied, "That is the first 
evidence I ever had that the devil has turned saint 
and is advising people what to do to keep out of 
hell." 

Of course this sally of wit and good sense put 
the crowd in good humor, and I was asked for 
still one more story of my experience, and so I 
related the following: 

A few years before the date mentioned a num- 
ber of inquiring minds, like ourselves, had organ- 
ized a society to investigate certain political mat- 
ters, and which soon ran into a general investi- 



161 

gating society, and we investigated every peculiar 
event we heard of. 

In the city of Detroit, Mich., was a Frenchman 
by the name of Matt. Mr. Matt was a steady go- 
ing man, along in years, a sewing machine agent; 
a Catholic in religion, and a good, honest man, 
respected by everyone who knew him. He did not 
own his home, though steady, and always at work, 
he seemed to barely make a living together with 
a small bank account. Finally his wife took sick 
and died, and he took it to heart sadly. Some of 
his customers, who were spiritualists, prevailed 
on him to attend a spiritualist meeting in hopes 
to get in communication with the spirit of his 
wife and thereby raise his hopes of again meet- 
ing her. 

Mr. Matt was more fortunate than the major- 
ity of investigators, for he got in communication 
with the spirit of his departed wife, the first time 
he attended a meeting, and the second time got 
testimony that converted him to Spiritualism for 
all time to come. 

The spirit, through the medium, told Mr. Matt 
to look on the upper shelf of the clothes closet, 
away back, and he would find a bank book, which 
showed deposits of over $800 dollars, of Mrs. 
Matt's savings from his earnings. Mr. Matt 
could hardly get home quickly enough to prove 
up this wonderful test, and the proof of the test, 
or truth of spirit return, was really of more value 
to him than the money, but he secured both, and 
was so enthused that he tried to enlist every ac- 
quaintance in the great army of truth seekers. 



162 



He became acquainted with a medium whose 
name was Church, who had been a preacher, and 
of course had brought down upon himself the 
condemnation of everybody in orthodoxy, and 
Mr. Church was charged with all sorts of fraud 
and fake work, so I and my friends were intro- 
duced and invited to investigate Mr. Church's 
work, in every way we pleased, so long as we did 
not conduct our investigations in a harsh or un- 
gentlemanly manner. 

He had been charged in particular, with being 
caught in his shirt sleeves, waving his coat, to 
produce heavenly breezes. 

Our crowd had determined not to be faked in 
any way. We knew every member, and felt sure 
there could be no confederate to the medium. 

Whether, or not, Mr. Church was a fake in any- 
thing else, he certainly was able to get at people's 
thoughts, and to give them messages, none but 
they and their departed friends knew anything 
about. 

At several meetings we used every honorable 
means to detect fraud, but found none. 

The room where the seances were held was a 
small room, barely large enough to seat our mem- 
bers, with the medium in the circle, so if he got 
up and crowded through the circle — well it sim- 
ply could not be done without every member feel- 
ing the commotion. Boxes of candy were placed 
outside of the circle, in the corner of the room, not 
space enough for any one to get from circle, door, 
or window to them, yet children's voices were 
heard and the candy spirited away, and no search 



163 

could find it, and no one to this day knows what 
became of it, unless spirits ate it. 

Sometimes an Indian spirit, who seemed to be 
a giant, would materialize and dance on the floor 
supposedly in moccasin feet. He would come and 
place a monster hand over each head, alternately, 
to show what a giant he was. 

The greatest doubters, who were always en- 
couraged to express their doubts and explain 
matters if possible, declared this might be a de- 
ception, and that we could not judge of the size 
of a hand placed on the head, and that Mr. Church 
was playing the part of an Indian and dancing in 
his stocking feet. 

I suggested that some of us try to get around in 
a dark circle and get back again to our chair with- 
out tumbling over some one else in such intense 
darkness. None could do it. So another test was 
made when someone said, on the opposite side of 
the room from the medium, the big hand was on 
their head, I would ask Mr. Church some trivial 
question, but expressing great faith, to draw from 
him speech, which all declared was answered 
from his chair, and those who held his hands de- 
clared they never let go of his hands during the 
seance. 

One of the familiar spirits of Mr. Church was 
a Doctor Lamont, a Frenchman, who said he was 
killed in a duel 250 years ago. Mr. Matt said 
he spoke French fluently, which Mr. Church said 
he himself could not do. 

At times my hearing is very bad, because of the 
nerves being injured by concussion of cannon 



164 

in the Battle of Spotsylvania, where I lay sharp- 
shooting, too close to the big guns and the con- 
cussion injured the drum of the ear, or more like- 
ly the nerves, as great deafness only bothers me 
at times. I mentioned this in the circle, and Dr. 
Lamont said he would cure me, or at least give 
me great relief, which was done, by a mouth be- 
ing placed at my ear and a breath blown in my 
ear. I noticed this difference when the doctor, or 
spiriti, blew hit omy ear the breath seemed cool, 
while when using Mr. Church as a medium, which 
he preferred to do, the breath was hot. At any 
rate, I was releived, but not cured, and I have re- 
lieved many others in the same manner. When 
Dr. Lamont addressed the circle, the voice seem- 
ed to come from over our heads, and rolled out 
in a heavy voice with a rich French accent, un- 
less requested to speak in French, by Mr. Matt. 

On one occasion some one asked him if he ever 
saw Christ. He replied, "No, and there are mil- 
lions of other people of earth I have never seen." 

Thinking of John IV. Ch. 1st verse, "Beloved, 
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits 
whether they are of God * * * and every spirit 
that confesseth not that Jesus Christ came not 
in the flesh is not of God." 

I determined to put the test, so I asked: "Doc- 
tor, do you believe Christ came in the flesh?" 

His reply was, "I certainly do." He then gave 
us a 15 or 20 minute talk on the beautiful char- 
acter of Christ, saying if men would try to emu- 
late that humane and kindly nature of Christ it 
would bring heaven on earth, and then he quoted 



165 

from John VIII:3-11, where the woman, caught 
in adultry, was brought before him and he 
stooped and wrote in the sand, and finally an- 
swered "He that is without sin among you, let 
him first cast a stone at her." And finally seeing 
the woman alone, he asked, "Woman, where are 
those thy accusers? Hath no man accused thee?" 

She said, "No, my Lord," and Jesus said unto 
her, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no 
more." 

Now, said the doctor. "Can any human being 
give better advice? If there was no Christ, sent 
direct by God, to give such advice, the novelist 
who wrote the fiction, giving such advice, became 
a Christ in spirit, so why split hairs as to the 
truth of the immaculate conception, or a direct 
visitor from the throne of God; all men should 
reverence and imitate the character." Amused 
and interested, as well as glorified by such beau- 
tiful sentiment, I asked with a tinge of sarcasm, 
"Doctor, are you sure such good advice as you 
are giving does not come direct from his Satanic 
Majesty?" 

He replied, with a laugh, "Mr. Stowe, we of the 
spirit world know the work you were destined to 
do, we love you and we are often with you, and 
are helping you. But, do you know what Christ 
wrote in the sand when he stooped and wrote?" 

I replied, "I do not, it is not in the Bible." 

"Well," said he, "I will give it to you." 

This is what he gave me : 

"Write the errors of your fellow man and sis- 
ter woman in the dust, where they can be easily 



166 

obliterated, where the slightest breeze will sweep 
them forever away. But, their virtues, have them 
engraved on tablets of enduring memory and 
learn to cherish and imitate them." 

T once gave this o at preacher, who had turned 
spiritualist, and he was to publish it in a book of 
gatherings of such matter, but as I never saw 
the book, or heard from him, I do not know 
whether he published it, or not. But T am sure 
if such sentiments are to be heard at spiritual 
meetings we need have no fear of attending them. 

Here I was asked, "What became of Mr. 
Church ?" 

This is a wonderful and peculiarly sad story, 
yet as it throws some light on the spirit world I 
will relate the story as Mr. Matt told it to me. 
Mr. Matt is on the spirit side of life himself now. 
I wish to say right here I am using fictitious 
names for all living people, as I have not been 
given authority to do otherwise, and most peo- 
ple do not like publicity. 

Mr. Matt and Mr. Church, finally took rooms 
with a spiritualist family and they were holding 
private seances, for spiritual development. 

At the time of which I write the excitement, 
created by the story told by Father Chenegue, in 
his book, "Fifty Years in the Church of Rome," 
in which he charges that church with being im- 
plicated in the assassination of President Lin- 
coln, and as he gives sworn testimony to prove 
certain priests in the west forgetting the differ- 
ence in time had stated several hours before the 



167 

deed had taken place, that Lincoln and Seward 
had been assassinated. 

As I had given strong circumstantial evidence 
that President Lincoln was assassinated at the 
instigation of certain class of moneyed men, 
whose interests he stood in the way of being car- 
ried through. I was much interested in every 
particle of evidence in every direction. 

As this is a matter of more than a generation 
ago, it would not be brought up here only as ne- 
cessary discriptive matter. It seems to be in- 
teresting the spirit world fully as much as it did 
the people of earth life. 

Mr. Church insisted the spirits confirmed 
Father Chineque's statement, and that a very 
large sum of money had been raised for Booth, the 
assassin, and that this money was buried on the 
shores of Chesapeake bay, and that if Mr. Church 
and his friends would go to Baltimore, Maryland, 
the spirits would direct them where to find this 
buried money. 

There were none of these people, except Mr. 
Matt, who had money enough to finance such an 
enterprise, so Mr. Matt suggested that if the 
spirits could spirit away two, or three, pounds 
of candy they could surely bring some of the 
money to the interested parties, which they prom- 
ised to do, and so sittings were held for that pur- 
pose. It was claimed by Mr. Matt that bills 
were actually materialized, but through some 
mistake, or some cause not explained, that was not 
a success. Finally Mr. Matt agreed to advance 
while in earth life and the four people went to 



168 

Maryland and located the spot where it was 
claimed the money was buried. On account of 
the bay having carried its waters over the spot, 
all attempts to get near the exact spot were frus- 
trated, even to picking Mr. Church up bodily and 
throwing him into a bramble bush. This was 
supposed to be done by the spirits of friends of 
Booth, or spirits of those who had been strong 
Catholics while in earth life. 

After several severe struggles, the enterprise 
was given up as a failure, and so all came back 
except Mr. Church, who had no money to get 
back with, and a short time after that the papers 
published an item announcing the finding of Mr. 
Church's body in the harbor at Baltimore where 
it was supposed by evidence found and the fact 
he had no money to pay his hotel bills with, he 
had committed suicide. 

. Mr. Church was an old gentleman about 70 
the money from that his spirit wife had saved 
years of age, and I was very sorry to hear of his 
misfortune, and had I known it I would have 
raised funds from friends to help him out. 

This is the sad story as told to me by Mr. Matt. 

Our new organization now elected officers and 
adopted rules and by-laws under the name of the 
"American Occult Research Society." 

I asked Karmenia if there was any truth in the 
story of the buried money but she replied : "Never 
mind, destiny will take care of that; you have 
matters of more importance to you and to the 
welfare of the country than to bother your head, 
and take your time than to stir up dead issues 



169 

of a generation ago, as there are thousands of 
good honest Catholics, and thousands of good 
and honest Spiritualists who would be worried 
over matters that had better be let rest. Find 
no fault with people who differ with you in be- 
lief, for they have as much right to their belief 
as you have to yours, and it is all right. " 



170 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Karmenia Shows Me Why Love Seldom Runs 
Smooth. — Karmenia Plays Tricks With My 
Affections to Try Me and She Brings to Me 
Many Temptations and Plays Pranks With 
My Affections, and So We Go Back to the 
Third and Fourth Years After Marriage. 

It's claimed from heaven an angel fell, 
Became a man while on his way; 
Then thrice again the stories tell, 
There's more rejoicing, so they say, 
O'er the one that's saved from a fiery hell 
Than for a hundred who never went astray. 

Stowe. 

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. I stayed 
at home to take care of the baby and my wife 
went to church. 

The baby was playing contentedly on the floor 
and I began conversation with Karmenia as fol- 
lows : 

''Dear Karmenia, what is love?" 

"Love," replied Karmenia, "is that true godly 
principle, which determines it will not see a mis- 
take in another being, believing all are God's 
creatures, and errors are but the result of mis- 
understood conditions, and offense and dislike 
merely the result of inharmonious vibrations." 

"What," cried I. "Do you mean to say my 
love for my beautiful wife is nothing but the re- 
sult of vibratory conditions? 



171 

/'What is this burning fire within my bosom 
sufficient to cause me to sacrifice all I possess, 
even life itself, for my adored one?" 

Karmenia laughed outright and asked me if 
I had not yet lived long enough to note the dif- 
ference between passion and love." 

I became very indignant, and snatched up my 
baby and pressing it to my heart I cried out: 
"Karmenia, Karmenia, are you but the spirit of 
a she devil, that you can stand there and goad me 
on to desperation and to the point of condemna- 
tion? Do you for one moment mean to tell me 
it is passion for my child, that causes my love to 
rise to that devotion, that I would sacrifice my 
life in defense of that rosebud, plucked from the 
parent stem, through that ecstasy of the passion 
of the gods, lent to the quivering forms of two 
devoted hearts? Out with you! If that most 
sacred of bonds, the holy unity of husband and 
wife, cemented together by blood ties in an hon- 
orable and legal birth, is not love, in the name of 
all that is good, what is love?" 

There seemed to be a trace of sadness in Kar- 
menia's voice as she said: "Oh, my beloved, it 
seems I have stirred your soul to its depths, and 
yet passion and love are still a tangled mass of 
incomprehensible fomentation, wreithing and 
rolling in your brain while seeking that contented 
rest that true love must find where e'er it chances 
to be. 

"Had there never been passion, there would 
have never been suns, stars or individual lives. 
All creation is but the expression of the Godly 



172 

passion, manifest through the division of Him- 
self. Those divisions of God we call creations. 
Karmenia then handed me a poem on love. 

What Is Love? 

What are the forces we impart, 

Arousing feelings alike in kind? 
Vibrating chord in another heart, 

Answering back from another mind. 
It mav be good, or it may be sin, 

Sunken below, or raised above, 
Sweet as a well-turned violin — 

Ye gods, 'tis sweet, but 'tis not love. 

Love is a force of another kind 

Seldom found on earth's green sod, 
If found in a type of human mind, 

'Tis reflex of the living God. 
Love seeks not for a selfish end 

Knowing only one aim in life, 
Love's alike the foe and friend 

Its highest aim, the end of strife. 

Slow but sure do the god's mills grind, 

Subduing the things that lead to strife, 
'Till love, a peaceful rest shall find, 

In harmony of spirit life. 
Then will love her vigils keep, 

No slimy depths, no pride above, 
But many in one like an ocean deep, 

That one is God, that God is love. 

"Man's love," continued Karmenia, "is nothing 
more or less, than the expression of selfishness 



173 

condensed to lust, and his very offspring is 
nothing more or less, than a reflection of that 
selfish lust manifest in the creative powers of the 
eternal principle. 

"Male and female, as positive and negative, 
are brought together by that bond of harmoni- 
ous vibration in their physical structures ; as soon 
as this is disturbed one or the other becomes ill, 
and if continued, it causes the untimely end of 
one or the other, or else they will soon cease to 
tolerate each other and separation must be the 
result. 

"If the couple, through chance, or wise selec- 
tion, are well adapted for each other, this unity 
will be more lasting and less liable to break up 
in a life time, or because of an unusual amount 
of true love and wisdom, the couple see the dan- 
ger approaching and so mutually sleep apart or 
journey apart until the magnetic currents have 
become normal again ; the marriage proves a suc- 
cess for life. The lack of display of such wisdom 
is the reason for so few happy marriages. This 
is very clearly manifest to astrologers, who have 
noticed where marriage takes place with people 
whose planetary positions were badly aspected to 
each other, or where either contracting parties 
are transiting an evil year, or cycle, the vibratory 
conditions are bad and soon become unsettled 
and trouble begins." 

At my birth I had Saturn in the sign Capri- 
cornus where he is strong, and in my 7th house, 
which rules marriage. As Saturn is called the 
great evil, and that position very evil for mar- 



174 

riage, it would not be supposed I could experi- 
ence a happy domestic life. But, fortunately other 
positions were favorable, except that I was born 
in the expressive mental fire sign Aries, while my 
wife was born in the neutral fire sign Sagittarius, 
and people born in the neutral signs are not man- 
ifestly expressors of their afTections. 

I soon learned that my wife was the possessor 
of more good qualities than I had taken stock of, 
but alas, she could not express that affection for 
me that I knew she felt. 

Aries people are called the overcomers, be- 
cause most of them are here in this life to com- 
plete the course for a graduation they failed in, 
during the last life before this, so that whatever 
their greatest failings in the last life they will 
be most tempted in during this life. I distinctly 
remembered this and determined to master every 
obstacle, so wife and I have got on happily. But, 
my affections were simply starved on account of 
the lack of expression of my wife, but knowing 
her nature I could not allow it to disturb me. 

Here let me inform the reader that Aries and 
Taurus people attract the opposite sex as natural- 
ly as the rose attracts the bee. These are peopje 
born in the sign Aries, the ram, from March 21st 
to April 19th; and Taurus, the bull, April 19th to 
May 20th. These are at the head of the Zodiac, 
both these signs produce very sympathetic, kind- 
hearted people. 

Karmenia, as if desirous of separating my wife 
and I, was forever using her arts in throwing me 
in contact with pleasing persons of the opposite 



175 

sex. But I learned to master myself in early 
life, and when I asked Karmenia why she per- 
sistently aided in tempting me, she replied, "It 
is for the same reason that God is said to have 
placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, 
and placed a temptation and a tempter there, that 
man might develop a character, that he may 
graduate to a higher sphere." 

Karmenia often said to me, "I want you to de- 
velop a character ±>y overcoming jail things." 
Of course this caused me to think very deeply 
along the lines of spiritual duty. 

For fifteen years my mind was mostly occu- 
pied in taking care of my family and looking out 
for a rainy day. I soon learned a hope of heaven 
seldom puts flour in the barrel, or pays the rent, 
and I have noticed when the flour barrel is empty 
Christianity is at a low ebb. But during these 
years I was buying books and studying pretty 
hard. I did not confine myself to any one line of 
study, but dipped into everything. 

The branch of Adventists that I was a member 
of was called the Christadelphians. They 
finally became extinct as a body, so I considered 
I was not really bound to that creed and began 
searching for broader fields I had become too con- 
firmed in the belief in evolution to give it up. I 
concluded evolution was the real stepping stone 
to eternal life, or in other words, I believed that 
all was matter and that there is no mind outside 
of organic matter, that even God was an evolved 
Being, consequently could not be an all-powerful 
Being, so I wrote a book entitled "Poetical Drifts 



176 

of Thought, or Problems of Progress," explain- 
ing world building according to the nebula 
theory, and evolution, and the final destiny of 
man, from a materialistic standpoint, and here 
are a couple of stanzas I considered settled the 
whole thing: 

"You'll say matter can't be self-existent, 

Of course that seems very odd — 
But, if you insist on a maker for matter, 
I insist on a maker for God." 

If there is such a thing as matter, it must have 
always existed as something could not be made 
from nothing, I reasoned, and then I wrote: 

"If suffering is a necessity, 

A necessity God's power denies, 
If not a necessity but permitted, 
Then God's mercy it belies." 

These I thought to be unanswerable, and I 
hadn't said much to Karmenia about the book, 
as I had not seen much of her for a long time, 
only now and then getting a glimpse of her. I 
was too sure I was right in my own way. But 
at last, one day I sat down and thought deeply 
and earnestly, which was a way I had of calling 
Karmenia to me. This was just as I was about 
to go to press with my book. Karmenia came 
and I told her all about the book and finally I 
asked her opinion. 



177 

"Why did you not call for my opinion before, 
knowing you could conceal nothing from me?" 
she asked. 

"Because I thought I knew what I was about, 
and I did not need you," I answered. 

"Well, why have you called me now since you 
have ignored my existence?" she inquired. 

"Because the thought struck me, 'maybe there 
is no such thing as matter, and you can give me 
light on the subject,' " I replied. 

"Now Karmenia be pleasant with me and tell 
me just what you think," I demanded. 

"Have you broken your vow and given up your 
Advent theory?" she asked. 

"Well," said I, "The society does not exist any 
more and I don't see why I should be chained to 
an error, which keeps me from hunting for the 
truth, and I am going to keep my promise to you 
to hunt until I find the truth." 

Karmenia embraced and kissed me, and called 
me her beloved again. But I felt very guilty and 
asked her if she wanted me to leave my wife and 
go with her. 

"Oh, no !" said she, "I should be very sorry to 
have you leave your wife, for that would be un- 
just and put you farther from me, and I am your 
sweetheart of eternity, so I will always be near 
you and as long as you are seeking for truth you 
are seeking for me. Go on and publish your book, 
you need the experience, but remember you will 
reverse many of your present views." 

This was certainly not very assuring news on 
the eve of publishing a book I had spent years of 



178 

time, large sums of money and much thought to 
produce. However, I went on and published the 
book, but never had the courage to push the sale, 
because it hurt me to think of leading the peo- 
ple astray in anything, and the money had no 
temptations for me. I found where the book 
was read it was very favorably commented upon, 
except among the clergy and the press. This was 
"Poetical Drifts of Thought," which covers world 
building, and evolution, together with many 
other poems. 

The editor of one weekly paper I was writing 
for told me he had been called on by a large dele- 
gation of ministers, and high church men, and he 
was told he must not publish my articles. He 
continued, however, and finally lost his plant by 
the foreclosing of a mortgage, and I have always 
been bothered to get matter published ever since. 
But— 

"Truth crushed to earth will rise again, 

The eternal years of God are her's, 
While error, wounded, writhes in pain 
And dies amid her worshippers." 

—(Bryant). 

As I turned to attend to my business Karmenia 
kissed me and said : "Until you see me again keep 
these thoughts in view: 

First — "Nature abhors a vacuum, and you can 
never get a complete vacuum. 

"Second — Nature abhors monotony, or same- 
ness; she makes no two things just alike, and wis- 
dom seeks a change. 



179 

"Third — There is nothing lost in nature, she 
maintains a recompense for all things; therefore 
the sufferings of all lower life are entitled to 
recompense as well as are the efforts of the wisest 
man. 

"Fourth — If there is an all-powerful God, He 
cannot be circumscribed, therefore He is every- 
where, in every atom, every atom in Him. Then 
He is in every individual. You are a part of Him, 
so is everything else, and there is no thing and 
no space where God is not. 

"Fifth — If there is nothing without God, then 
He is in evil as well as good; therefore evil must 
be unfinished good. 

"I would also like to have you take up the study 
of chemistry, and you will find by analyzing the 
body of man, that every atom composing his body 
acts under the same law of the survival of the 
fittest, and it is this law that is our schoolmaster, 
to force us to learn through experience. 

During the great political campaign of 1896, 
because of the hard times there were many idle 
people, and for the want of other occupation 
many took up the study of occult subjects. A 
number of very intelligent young men met at my 
office twice a week for discussion and concentra- 
tion. One Thursday evening a young furrier, 
William B., and a young artist, George F., and 
myself were sitting in total darkness, trying to 
invite clairvoyant pictures, when I heard Kar- 
menia's voice saying: "Tonight you will get testi- 
mony of truth." 



180 



As the scenes, or pictures, came up before us w r e 
described them. The artist said: "Mr. Stowe, I 
see you dressed in what I would call an Arabian 
costume, or priestly robes." Mr. B. in an excited 
manner cried out: "Mr. Stowe, I see two medal- 
lion frames about an inch and a half in width, and 
about two and a half inches long. In one of them 
is Bryan's picture, the other is a blur. I cannot 
make out what it is. What do you think it 
means?" 

I replied : "I think it means that Mr. Bryan will 
be elected; but there being two candidates for 
vice-president, it is still in doubt as to which will 
be. chosen." 

Just then I heard Karmenia's merry laugh, and 
she said: "Just wait for the testimony." I told 
Mr. B. it would be explained later. The young 
man asked: "What do you see, Mr. Stowe?" 

I replied : "I see a picture of temples and caves, 
adorned with astronomical instruments, and 
beautiful regalia, and precious stones. I see 
George here invested with a regalia, and I come 
up before myself in priestly robes." (These were 
the same I had seen many times before.) I heard 
Karmenia's voice as she exclaimed, "Wait for the 
testimony." 

Four days later, or on Sunday evening, I was 
sitting in my office, when Mr. L., another very 
intelligent young man, and one of our investi- 
gators, who had not been present on Thursday 
evening, came in, saying, "Mr. Stowe, I have 
something here will interest you." And he threw 



181 

down an envelope, and across the left-hand end 
of it were two gilt frames about an inch and a half 
in width and two and a half inches long. One 
contained a picture of Bryan and the other con- 
tained a picture all covered up with loose paper 
except the face. "Whose picture is that?" asked 
Mr. L. I replied: "Oh, someone has dressed 
Napoleon, or Washington like Bryan to prove 
they look alike. " 

Somewhat crestfallen to think I had guessed 
his little puzzle so uickly, he said, "Well, since 
you have tumbled to it so easily, go in the house 
and get Washington's picture and see how closely 
they resemble each other." 

I did so, and was astonished; but just then Mr. 
B. and the artist came in. Said I: "B., come 
here. Whose face is that?" 

Instead of answering at once he began dancing 
around and slapping his thighs with his hands as 
he cried: "That's what I saw. That's what I 
saw. That's what I saw Thursdav night." 

Said I: "Mr. F., what did Mr. "B. see Thurs- 
day night?" 

Mr. F. described minutely what I have stated 
Mr. B. saw four days before. 

Then Karmenia told me both of these gentle- 
men had been members of our order of the Magi 
ages ago, and that I should yet get further sur- 
prising testimony later on. 



182 
CHAPTER XXII. 



World Building, Evolution and Reincarnation 
Plainly Described, Chiefly Through Illustration. 



"So fleet the works of men, 
Back to their earth again 
Ancient and holy 
Things fade like a dream." — Kingsley. 




This cut of the present war was drawn in 1880, by Lyman E. 
Stowe, and published in "Stowe's Poetical Drifts of Thought," 
in 1884. The engraver made some bad mistakes, it was a more 
perfect picture than here denotes. 

We will now go back to the beginning of our 
early investigations. 

I could get nothng from this class in chem- 
istry but cold materialism, because, as they said, 
"Chemistry has proven to the satisfaction of the 
great thinkers that all supposed matter is divisi- 
ble into atoms, and Dr. Thomas says, in Zell's 



183 

Encyclopedia, that as near as can be estimated, 
an atom is eight hundred and eighty-eight tril- 
lionths, four hundred and ninety billionths of a 
cube inch in diameter, and this is a mountain 
compared to an atom of oxygen, and an atom of 
oxygen a mountain compared to an atom of 
hydrogen. These elements predominate in all 
vegetable and animal life. 

The human soul can be no larger than one of 
those atoms, so the spirit must be a compound, 
therefore the fable of future life has ceased to 
interest us and when man dies that is the end of 
him. 

I held to the fact that the work of evolution, 
with the aid of reincarnation could be traced 
from the Nebula through world building, evo- 
lution and reincarnation to the wisest man, and 
that when two atoms of matter sought to com- 
bine or seek for what they wanted, they display 
the same wisdom, instinct, or whatever you wish 
to call it, that man displays, when he seeks what 
he wants. (See my three lectures in Cosmos 
in the back of this book, price 50c; but I am giv- 
ing it to you and have placed it in this book 
to aid the reader to grasp this gigantic subject.) 

I called Karmenia's attention to this, and 
asked her if after all there is no life after death. 
She burst out laughing in what seemed to be an 
uncontrollable fit of laughter, until I lost my 
patience and cried, "Karmenia, what in the world 
do you find to cause such an outburst of ridicu- 
lous merriment? 

Karmenia replied: "Can't you see the funny 
side of asking me to deny my own existence?" 



184 

Surely enough, I was showing the fool side of 
life we all have tucked away somewhere. 

Karmenia explained to me that there is no 
room in the Universe for anything but Clod, and 
that such an intelligence must have something to 
think about, something to occupy that gigantic 
mind; also, companionship is very desirable, con- 
sequently God lays plans and divides himself 
into many parts, and tells these parts, "Now go 
out and let the wiser organize the weaker into 
all manner of forms, which I will recognize as 
worlds, and ye as Gods. I have said ve are 
Gods." Psalms LXXXII-6. 

Your experiences shall be your wisdom and all 
combined shall be my wisdom. 

You shall have rewards as encouragement, and 
loss and remorse to be its opposite. 

You shall have governments and rulers, and 
each shall seek to please those above, and each 
shall obey the ruler of the kingdom he has be- 
come a part of, and the king, or ruler, shall be 
no respecter of persons, and just as the ruler 
of the human body would not wish to put his 
toe in his mouth, he must respect its demands 
for proper care, or a lame foot will angrily call 
for recognition, and proper care, and it must be 
granted, or a rebellion of the soul atoms, will fol- 
low, and the ruler will be most to blame, because 
he is supposed to be wise enough to know how 
to be just to all, and see there is no favoritism, 
for if a man grants the palate a privilege he will 
not grant any other member of his body, and 
loses a hand, or a foot thereby, he is a bad ruler 
and his kingdom is on the road to destruction. 



185 

When I laid this matter before Karmenia and 
asked which is the best, a kingdom or a republic, 
and "what is the best course for a just man to 
pursue?" she replied : "When spirits or incarnated 
men join together for mutual benefit, special 
privilege should be guarded against a thousand 
times more strongly than against an outside en- 
emy." 

"There will always be a selfish few watching 
for an opportunity to gain privilege to rob the 
masses; the rulers should be held responsible 
through the recall." 

A president of four, or even eight years, may 
set in motion the machnery to establish a privi- 
lege, whose mischief would not be discovered 
until long after his responsibility had ceased, and 
possibly he cannot be found. While a king or 
president for life, but subject to recall, would be 
more directly responsible to the community. 
There are other similar reasons. 

"The best course for a just man to pursue is 
to maintain a perfect balance." 

"Should I not try to create laws to govern 
other men?" 

"No, indeed," was the reply. "Most people 
who cry out for a law to govern others or pre- 
vent them from enjoying something they like 
cannot control themselves, are the very ones who 
need law most, to govern them." 

"Is it not wise to force men to become religi- 
ously moral?" I asked. 

Karmenia burst into laughter and replied : 

"It is unnatural to make water run upstream, 
and if vou succeed it will burst its bonds and 



186 

come down at the first opportunity. It is the 
same with forced honesty and forced modesty, 
such things are productive of hypocricy and evil. 
Tear the veil from your social fabric today and 
the view of the hypocritical world would be so 
appalling that a destructive revolution would 
take place at once. As it is, there is a secret war 
going on between the classes and the masses, 
and the masses are being used against them- 
selves. 

"You can conceal fomenting cider in a barrel, 
but you can't conceal the fact that it is working 
itself clear, and at a certain point it will have vent, 
or you will have no barrel." 

Here we went back to the discussion of the 
size of an atom, and I ask the reader to go to 
the back of the book and read "Cosmos," a book 
I have lent the readers of this book. 

Karmenia explained that the reason we cannot 
grasp the meaning of a body so small as an atom, 
is that every organic, structure from a molecule 
of water to a gigantic Sun has a soul, perhaps 
no larger or smaller than that of a man, and 
he has a spirit body, which he develops through 
many lives. 

Each organic body builds his world accord- 
ing to his conception of a world, and he builds 
from the material he is able to attract to him, 
as "birds of a feather flock together" so soul 
atoms of the same nature flow together, as we 
make it harmonious for them. 

I wish now that you read carefully the article 
on a pail of water, in Cosmos, page 1, back part 
of this book. Also the analysis of a piece of loaf 
sugar. 



187 

Now note when anything is burning, it is 
because two atoms of oxygen have been given an 
opportunity to grasp one atom of carbon forming 
a molecule of carbnic acid gas, also whatever 
hydrogen there has been freed will be taken up 
into hydro oxyde. You spill some water on the 
stove and a rust takes place, exactly as the burn- 
ing occurred, so to burn or to rust out is one 
and the same thing, only rusting is the slower 
process. Now you take some fruit, and decay 
sets it; we call that rot, but it is the same chemi- 
cal action. 

Now we will describe the building *up and 
tearing down of the human form. Man eats the 
food and it is mixed with the saliva of the mouth, 
and goes into the stomach; here it is assimilated 
and goes out to build up one end of a muscle. 
We breathe the oxygen, and it is sent out in the 
veins by heart beats, and the oxygen unites with 
carbon and hydrogen, just as it did in the other 
process, and tears down the frame, so that we 
are torn down at the same time we are built 
up. It is a case of carbonic acid in either case. 

Now what becomes of the carbonic acid gas? 

Every waving leaf in the sunshine has its little 
lungs and it breathes in the carbonic acid, which 
builds up the plant, and it throws out pure oxy- 
gen, so that a part of your body may have been 
a part of my body a year ago, or vice -ersa. 

We will say that a man was a great thief and 
trickster. He will attract that kind of atoms 
to him, and when he is reborn he will be a natural 
thief. 



188 

Some men are so wrapped up in their work 
they think of it all of the time, and are born nat- 
ural mechanics, and so you can go through all 
of the walks of life. 





Cut No. 16 Cut No. 17 

Cut No. 16 represents two barrels of water, one 
pure, the other is not, there is a connecting pipe 
between them, with a stick in the roily water. 
You stir the stick and the roily water will dis- 
place the pure water and both will become roily. 
Thoughts will act just the same, thus "Familiar- 
ity corrupts good morals/' and "We are the re- 
sult of what our thoughts have been." 

Now, remember, thoughts are things because 
you have thoughts come to you which you do 
not want, and have to drive them away, and 
thoughts you do want, you have to call to you, 
and at first they come hard, but later easily; 
therefore, you have got to watch your thoughts 
more than your acts, and a man praying to God, 
with love and respect, can't be thinking of evil 
things. 

Cut No. 17 shows a man with disease congest- 
ed in his body; he tries to get rid of it by con- 
tinual fight. He makes it quite uncomfortable 
for the colonists which have settled there, just 
as people migrating to a new country. The Ger- 



189 

mans will flock together, the English together, 
the French together, these disease colonies in 
the same way, and to get rid of them every form 
of cureopathy will do its work. But the patient 
should be careful that dangerous habits are not 
formed in the efforts to get rid of the former hab- 
it or disease. 

The reason we cannot see the atoms and 
their worlds is they are on a different plane of 
vibrations than ours. (See Stowe's Periodicity.) 
Karmenia tells me all space is filled with these 
intelligent atoms, or parts of God, so Sir Hum- 
phry Davey was right when he cried, "There is 
nothing in space but thought, impressions of 
pains and pleasures." The soul atom that or- 
ganized our solar system, offered us inducements 
to join his organization. We were not exactly 
satisfied and rebelled, and became a part of our 
earth. 

The writer of the old testament understood 
this, and so they in writing of it called it the Gar- 
den of Eden and the Sun became the flaming 
sword turning every way, so we cannot get back 
agan. 

Every organic body is built up by accretion, 
and passes away by erosion. 

The Universe is filled with these atoms and 
molecules and organic bodies, and each is trying 
to build his organic body larger through attrac- 
tion and persuasion, as well as through war, pur- 
suit and capture. I will now call your attention 
to one of the smallest organic bodies and one of 
the largest organic bodies. 



190 

To assist me in my studies I*got a microscope, 
of a power of 2,000 diameters. One day, while 
sitting on the front porch I saw a piece of white 
paper, about an inch square, on one side of my 
shoes, and a black speck, not as large as one of the 
periods in the print of this book. The speck was 
moving, which showed it was life, probably too 
small to classify by the scientist, but a good thing 
to study. I went in to get my magnifying glass 
and Zell's Encyclopedia lay open at the word 
atom and I stopped and read: "There are insects 
so small that it requires millions of them in mass 
before you can see a point sufficiently large to 
distinguish animal lfe," and each one of those is 
made up of complicated parts. 

I looked to see if the paper was still on my 
shoe, and the speck on the paper. It was. I took 
my glass and went back to the door and put the 
speck under the object glass, and that black speck 
assumed the form of the craude drawing of which 
this picture is a reproduction, and the compara- 
tive size drawn here. 




Cut No 



The above is a crude drawing of a bug not larger than one 
of the periods in print of this book, yet made of as perfect parts 



191 

as any animal of great size, and the ruling atom, which is the 
soul, is as large as the atom ruling the sun. 

No. 1 is a bug, the comparative height under the glass, with 
things around it to the naked eye. No. 4 is a dry goods box a 
painter stood on while painting. No. 3, a man nearly 6 feet tall, 
standing on the box. This as the comparative size, through 
my naked eye, and the bug under the glass. 

This monster was protected by a shell ar- 
mour and an armament of fearful claws, teeth and 
a crown of horns. No. 2 are two mighty tusks 
for ripping the sides of other monsters like him- 
self, or what were they given to him for? 

In the folds of this mighty structure of the 
head were two eyes, as bright as diamonds and as 
red as fire. 

Now think of organic bodies with as perfect 
parts as this bug possessed, but so small there 
would have to be millions in mass to make a point 
large enough to see it is life. Then wonder if the 
spirits of our departed friends are- an invisible 
world around us. 

What could this monster know of the world 
T was thinking of, and what I was doing with 
him? Let the reasoner think and reason upon 
that awhile. 



Cut No. 19 
The following cut represents our Sun in the Nebula state. 
It has passed the Comet state, and will never become food 
for another system, as well as be fed by aerolites. It is 



192 

stated our earth is fed by twenty million meteorites every 24 
hours. Some of these are very small, others weighing many 
tons. 




No 191 

The satellites are the Sun's children. 

Time cuts no figure in the economy of God, thus I have 
shown one of the smallest organic bodies, and one of the 
greatest. 




193 

The all-seeing eye, because there is nothing but God, each 
individual part of each eye is a part of himself, who willingly 
left heaven, and went into chaos to build, or be built, into new 
forms of creation to work his way back to finally enjoy more 
because he knows, more. Thus the Scriptures will be fulfilled 
and there will be more rejoicing over the one sinner returned 
than the ninety and nine who never went astray. Just as there 
is more rejoicing over Bill's coming home from college than for 
the other 11 sons who faithfully stayed and helped dad on the 
farm, because Bill had gone out to learn something. 




Cut No. 21— Milky Way. 

One of the millions of milky ways, or this is our milky way. 
I call it ours because we can see it with the naked eye. The 
telescope reveals over 300 milky ways, these are made up of 
hundreds of suns or solar systems; each sun has its own solar 
system or satelites, so many together, or seeming together, it is 
called a nebula, or milky way. So far distant that it has taken 
five millio years for their light to reach us, traveling 196,000 
miles per second. Supposed to be a hundred and twenty-five 
trillions miles distant from earth. 

Through this vast space the comets and suns are piling up 
the food on which they live ,and select forming forces, to take 
the place of others in their systems, who have proved inharmoni- 
ous, and these are cast off as waste material, just as we cast 
them from our system in fecal matter, dead skin, yes and even 
in the breath. See the story of a trip to Canopious and illustra- 
tion, the Canopion's body. 

Our earth was thrown off from the sun. 



194 




Cut No. 22. 
A Comparative size of the earth as it appears today and B as 
it appears in a gaseous form. 




Cut No. 23. 
The above represents our earth, in a great fire ball, darting 



195 



through space. It requires a vast period of time before the earth 
becomes cool enough to permit the gasses around it to form 
aerolites and rain to cool a crust and form volcanic action, and 
break up the crust. 




Cut No. 24 shows a storm period, for ages, cooling a crust. 
We must remember that we were once in the free gasses, then 
in the nebular, then in the gaseous substance of our Earth, as 
we left the Sun with our Earth. 



196 



WmsSssss^Me^M HH 



Cut No. 25. 

The volcanic period. Eternal fires broke through. Forma- 
tion of mountain and valleys, rivers and seas, and forming of 
soil for vegetation. 

At length the crust became stable enough to support seas of 
boiling water, later on cooler seas, fitted to produce certain sea- 
weed. 

Now remember the intelligent soul atoms, of which we our- 
selves were present in the gaseous matter in the fire, in the 
water, in the first vegetable, forming our kingdoms, and build- 
ing greater organisms, fitting ourselves to be teacher, Kings, or 
soul, or rulers over those not so well adapted for the purpose. 
Thus the Scriptures say of Men, "Ye are Gods." Psalms 
LXXXII-6. 

The first animal life on earth was the worm and insect life, 
the reptillian life, then the stronger animal life, until the mon- 
key, and lower order of men. See cuts of monkey and heads of 
men from the savage up to the most intelligent men. 

I will ask the reader, if the wise man has a soul, has not the 
next and the next down to the cannibal got a soul, and if the 
cannibal who would eat you, has a soul, has not your domestic 
animal got a soul? 




Cut No. 26 

First Epoch or Primordial — Vegetation and Lower Forms of 
Animal Life Appeared on our Earth. 



These periods show the evolution of our Solar system, and 
finally of our Earth. 




Cut No. 27. 
Second Epoch or Primary Period on Our Earth. 



198 




Cut No. 28. 



Third Epoch or Secondary Period— Animals, Fishes and Birds 
Appeared and Vegetation Attained Rank Growth on our Earth. 




Cut No. 29. 



Fourth Epoch or Terteriary Period. Higher Forms of Life and 
Fur-bearing Animals Appeared on our Earth. 



199 




Cut No. 30. 



Geologists find these stages of the Earth's history are strong 
proofs of the truth in Evolution especially when placed beside 
mechanical evolution, with the creations of men. 




Cut No. 31. 
One of the the connecting links, proving the evolution theory. 



200 







Cut No. 32. 
Another connecting link. 




Cut No. 33. 



The grades of intelligence, in proof of Evolution, which one 
of these has an immortal soul, and which has not? 

If the cannibal who would eat you has a soul, has not your 
domestic friend, dog or cat a soul? 

It does not take a strong mind to trace evolution in our 
every day life. The tallow candle to the electric light, the wheel 
barrow to the automobile and a thousand and one things. 



201 

Cut No. 33 shows grades of intelligence in men. You rate 
this intelligence by their wants, and their means of supplying 
their wants. Has the man on the right got a soul and the oth- 
ers not, or has the second got the soul and the others not, or 
the fourth or fifth got a soul and the others not? Or has that 
cannibal who would eat you got a soul and your noble domestic 
animal who will risk his life to save yours not got a soul? 

Even plants have been known to rob their 
neighbor, and so everything will be held respon- 
sible and answer for the crimes of former lives. 
The great graduation day is here, be prepared at 
any moment, and I will now tell you how to be 
ready. 

Above all things avoid the desire to possess 
great wealth, to become a money loaner. 

"The love of money is the root of all evil." 

"It is easier for the camel to pass the needle's 
eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of 
God." Expose the tricks of money men when- 
ever possible. Frequent prayers to God for help 
will avail you much, and to sit at spiritual seances 
will be a great help. 

I asked Karmenia if transmigraton of souls is 
true. "No; only as a means of transfer," she re- 
plied. 

• Anticipating, she said: "There is no such thing 
as a devil to him who can sift the finished from 
the unfinished. It is not the spirits of friends 
who tempt you, but it s the souls and spirits you 
are daily taking in with the food and drink, who 
were parts of human beings of former ages, and 
are trying to get a foothold, by hook or by crook. 
These you take in while eating and drinking. 
Therefore, of all times to avoid temptation, is 
to keep the mind screen pleasant and happy while 
eating and drinking." 



202 

Each atom is a soul, each molecule a spirit 
body, those who never have reached a high plane 
and those who occupied high positions in other 
human bodies but undertook to influence that 
body to wrongdoing and for their pains were 
thrown out of the human body in fecal matter, 
will, through great effort, try to become parts of 
your kingdom. 

They will have their own tastes and desires, 
and will try to get others of similar tastes and 
desires to form colonies in your spiritual body, 
and so will become a part of your world, and do 
what they think will please you, hoping thereby 
to be let remain in your body." 

To get a better understanding of world build- 
ing and evolution you should read my ''Poetcal 
Drifts of Thought," from which most of these 
illustraitons have been borrowed. 

To get a better understanding of the Atomic 
Soul Theory, do not fail to read and reread "Cos- 
mos," I have placed in the back of this book, free 
to all. 

To get a better understanding of Astrology 
and its influences on yourself, or men in general, 
you should get my Astrological Periodicity," be- 
sides my study and research it cost ten years of 
the best of my lfe's work. 

To get a better under standing of the Bible 
as a,n Astrological work, you should read 
"Stowe's Bible Astrology." Notwithstanding 
newspapers and magazines have returned my 
monev and refused to advertise ''Bible Astrol- 



203 



ogy," it has reached its fourth edition, and peo- 
ple still send in cheering words like this: "I have 
read your Bible Astrology and want a copy for 
myself." 

Do you care to put money in a book you have 
read unless you see great value in it? This is 
not intended for an ad, but to help the under- 
standing. 

Says Karmenia, in answer to my question of 
mind and matter: "My beloved, stop and think, 
"Thoughts are things.' You have thoughts come 
to you, you do not want, and you drive them 
away. Did you create good thoughts any more 
than you did the evil ones?" I guess not. 
"Thoughts are things," you eat thought, drink 
thought and breathe thought. Sir Humphry 
Davey was right — "There s nothing in the Uni- 
verse but thought, impressions of pains and pleas- 
ures." And again DahomaPadah was right, "We 
are the result of what our thoughts have been." 

Let the reader remember this conversation 
took place eighteen years before "Cosmos" was 
written and published, and yet Karmenia showed 
the book to me and said it was destined that I 
should write such a book. (See ''Cosmos" or 
the three lectures in the back of this book. 

A great clairvoyant cries: "How can I descrbe 
the indescribable? Time had disappeared; space 
was no more. I felt that thoughts were the only 
tangible things." (Footnotes to the unknown.) 

Some years ago while pursuing my studies I 
practiced reading my mail while it was yet in 



204 

the hands of the letter carrier, before it reached 
me. On one occasion, nstead of seeing- my mail 
1 saw a lady's bedchamber, and a lady was before 
the dresser, evidently doing up some mail matter; 
when I got a chance to examine it properly I saw 
a lady friend doing up a picture of herself hold- 
ing up her baby to be photographed. I immedi- 
ately looked at the time of day and wrote a note, 
saying you are doing up a picture of yourself 
holding up your baby to be photographed; by the 
time you receive this letter I shall have your pic- 
ture. She now has my letter and I have her pic- 
ture. She lives in Chicago and I live in Detroit, 
over two hundred miles apart. Time and space 
were no more. 

Let the reader remember this when reading 
the last chapter of ''A Trip to Canopious." 

The object of this work is to give the experi- 
ence of the writer in proof of the fact that there 
is no death. That all is one great intelligence, 
yet divisible into parts, and that each organic 
body has a world of his own, and he cannot un- 
derstand the worlds above him, or below him, 
and that what he knows of this world he must 
learn by experience, and he cannot judge another 
form of life by this world and form of life. 

After man learned of the divisiblty of matter 
down to so small a point as an atom, he began 
to reason that the soul of man must be one of 
these atoms, and then he began to speculate as to 
how many human souls could dance on the point 
of a cambric needle. Man then began to reason 



205 



about the compound, or spirit body, and this car- 
ried his mind back to his friends that had gone 
before and this brought the desire of the spirits 




of communication with their loved ones here. 
This brought us to spirit communication. This 



206 



had to be very slow as the spirit world is another 
world, and the initiative and signals. But we do 
not know one iota of their world codes or signals, 
except what they will tell us. 

The whole process of world building, evolution 
and destiny of man is to give a great mind some- 
thing to do. 

The offering of a reward and. punishment to 
man to cause him to attend to his duty is merely 
the reminder within himself that he has a duty 
to perform. 




Cut No. 35. 
Our Earth at the present time. 



207 




.THE ZODIAC, AND STORY AMONG THE STARS. 

AND SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 

Cut No. 37. 



Is the Zodiac, in the form of the human head. "Man was 
made in the likeness of his creator." The Zodiac. 

No man is fit to be a ruller, statesman, doctor, lawyer, in fact 
anything unless he thoroughly understands the Zodiac. The 
whole Bible is in that one illustration. See "Stowe's Bible As- 
trology." Write to the Stowe's, 131 Catherine St., Detroit, Mich. 

To read the Old Testament start at the top of 
the head and read to the right, counting by weeks 
between the air signs 



208 

"We are now just entering a Sunday morning 
of a new week of 7,000 years. "A day is a thou- 
sand years with the Lord, and a thousand years 
is as a day." 

To read the New Testament begin at the top 
of the head and read to the left. But get Stowe's 
"Bible Astrology" and "What Is Coming" to see 
it quick. 

I beg the reader to go to the back of this 
book and read "Cosmos" before reading these 
stories. 

Remember: 

Man tires of labor, he tires of pleasure and 
wants a change. 

Man retires at night because he is tired and 
wants rest, but he tires of the bed and rises and 
goes to work. 

We could do nothing without experience. That 
experience that costs us an effort is the greatest 
pleasure in the end. 

I placed Mr. Hodge's great question before 
Karmenia and asked her explanation. Here is 
the great question : 

"Why are some born to honor, others to dis- 
honor, some to wealth and some to want, some 
in the midst of crime, ignorance and sorrow, oth- 
ers involved in happy conditions. When and 
where are the compensations?" — Henry Clay 
Hodges. 

Karmenia replied : ''This is the law of Karma ; 
these people are receivng the reward for their 
acts, as for instance, they retard or increase the 
speed of thir progress. Here is an illustration. 



209 
THE ZODIAC. 

THE TWELVE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC. 




Cut No. 38. 

When a child and going to school and desirous 
of passing or graduating, but you spent too much 
time in pleasure and did not pass, what a sad 
blow to you. Well, notice Cut No. 38, the Zo- 
diac. Gemini, Aquarius and Libra are air signs, 
or God's Sundays or days of rest. The last mil- 
lenium was when the Sun passed through Gemini. 
Then from creation to the flood or Sun passing 
through Taurus 2,000 years. From Flood to 
Christ 2,000 years, and a change of dispensation; 
from Christ to the present time 2,000 years and 



210 

a change of dispensation or a Sunday. Great 
changes must take place and at another Monday 
morning, or when the Sun enters Capricornus, 
many will graduate to a hgher sphere. But there 
will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of 
teeth, because they could not graduate. Here is 
a strange story Karmenia is telling me, and we 
will return to the story of the millenium, and the 
Sunday morning about to be ushered in. 




211 
CHAPTER XXIII. 

KARMENIA'S STORY, OR 
THE SPIRIT'S EXPLANATION. 

Away back in 1858 this country was visited by 
the passage of the pigeons. From whence they 
came no person ever knew, and where they went 
no one ever found out. There were millions upon 
millions of them, and the flock would often dark- 
en the Sun. These birds were a little smaller than 
the tame pgeon, much prettier built, very grace- 
ful. All dressed one just like the other, a beauti- 
ful light blueish dove color, red legs and red 
eyes. A graceful bird on the wing, and swift as 
lightning. They were captured and killed by 
the millions and fed to the hogs to gtt rid of 
them because they destroyed the farmers' grains. 

In 1870 they disappeared as suddenly as they 
came and no one seemed to be able to tell where 
they went, as it was claimed a $10,000 reward was 
offered for a pair of them. They made good food, 
but food was so plentiful they were not appreci- 
ated. 

The story that Karmenia is telling me is that 
every atom is a soul, every molecule a spirit body 
of the least to the greatest organic body. That 
which has been thrown from the human body is 
mostly in fecal matter, dead skin or bad blood, or 
any other form is that, for the most part which 
was never before a part of the human body, or if 
so, exerted no intelligent part, whence once a 
spirit body has been a part of some human form 



212 

they are very anxious to get back, and will some- 
times resort to obsession. Karmenia says there 
are many throughout space who are condemned 
to wander for ages before they can enter the hu- 
man family. 

God says when he subdues all to himself again 
he will take a rest, and he has given us an ex- 
ample. The night is a rest to the day, the winter 
to the summer, the spirit state between incar- 
nated lives. Now let us take God's week, a thou- 
sand years is as a day, and a day as a thousand 
years, with the Lord." 

Let the reader examine the picture of the Zo 
diac, there are twelve signs, three water signs, 
three fire signs, three earth signs and three air 
signs. 

The Sun in his apparent daily motion is two 
hours in a sign, and there is a refreshing morn- 
ing, to start a new day's work. Now let us 
notce between each air sign, or three signs, one 
fire sign, one earth sign, one water sign, or two 
thousand year days, for labor, and one air sign 
for millinum or Sunday, and this gives us a day 
of rest. Kermenia says that each of these three 
signs rule for two thousand years, and the planet 
that rules the sign is very powerful in the effects 
of its nature. 

She says that at the end of the rule of each 
sign, there is an advancement for the fortunate, 
or diligent, or wise spirits, whichever you wish 
to call them, and a retrograde for the others. 

Every 26,000 years, or thereabouts, when the 
Sun has made a circle of the Zodiac, there is a 
great graduation day, and those who are fit to go 



213 

to a higher sphere, those who are not must learn 
they are bound to earth for 26,000 years more, 
and that they must be born again, before they 
can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (Oh, get 
''Bible Astrology/' anyway). 

Karmenia says that just the same as on Sun- 
day morning everything is quite untidy until 
the family is ready to settle down to a day's 
rest, and so it is on the millenial Sunday, there 
are wars and rumors of wars and disturbances 
of all kinds. It is here that the spirits of the past 
wish to get an opportunity to atone for the 
past, if possible graduate. 

During the past 2,000 years Pisces, the fishes, 
has ruled, and Jupiter, the God of wealth, rules 
that sign, and human hoggishness, or selfish- 
ness, has been the greatest sin. "The love of 
money is the root of all evil." What the sin of 
Taurus people was I do not know, but I think 
Karmenia said adultery. 

The sin of Aries people was provoking war, 
though today the ram is a docile animal, but if 
in defense of his flock, bold and desperate, he 
has been known to whip a lion and a panther. 

A few years ago, in the stockyards of De- 
troit, Mch., was a sulky, lone bull. Nobody 
dared approach; they were waiting for a gun 
to shoot; finally a flock of sheep with the ram 
at the head was let in the yard and the bull 
charged the flock with a bellow. The ram squared 
himself and knocked the bull down by butting 
him square in the forehead. This was repeated 
thirteen times, when the bull turned and ran to 
the other side of the yard, bellowing his surren- 



214 

der. It was found, later, that the bull weighed 
just thirteen times as much as the ram. There 
is no animal can stand before the ram, if the 
ram has a fair chance. 

For the past 2,000 years Pisces, the fishes, 
ruled by Jupter, the God of wealth, has ruled, 
and there has been a continual strife between 
the upper and lower classes, which is now about 
to end with a total destruction of the upper 
classes, and looking upon the millionaire' as a 
dishonest, dangerous man. 

During the 2,000 years that Aries ruled, men 
cultivated the war spirit, which they wished to 
get rid of, and balance up their spiritual bodies, 
the selfish class of their times, as well as of the 
past 2,000 years, also saw their mistakes and 
wished to correct the matter, so that they can 
graduate during the millenial Sunday, therefore 
they got the privilege of coming back to earth 
to rebuild, to help the lower soul atoms and 
spiritual bodies wthin themselves, and to let the 
dissatisfied go. But they must come through man 
in the ordinary way, therefore they came in great 
force in the form of pigeons, which were slaught- 
ered by the millions, and have come up as food 
for men direct, or through other animal life, and 
then to man more indirect. In taking their les- 
sons of experience during this great war, mil- 
lions of them have been shot down, just as they 
had done for others in the many ages .past. 

The money ruling class who now own the 
earth are the rebirth of the past 3,000 years, and 
those who are the most persistent in grasping 
the earth and robbing the masses, will lose the 



215 

results of all past experiences and have to start 
at the first molecule in forming a new Kingdom. 
Many of the pigeon souls and spirits are noble 
beings, but the letting loose such vast multitudes 
of spirits of criminals of past ages has filled our 
poor earth with thieves and trouble-makers of all 
kinds, as never before known, and is sure to bring 
destruction upon themselves, unless they hasten 
to reform, and help the people, 
to do, but warns me to be prepared to fly from 
the wrath of the outraged masses, and burning 
cities, to the quietitude of rural life, if possible. 

Cut 39. — A perfect man, if you could see him 
with a glass strong enough he would look like 
a swarm of bees gathering around the Queen 
Bee, coming and going, all bringing honey, and 
no one empty or bringing false stories. But listen, 
Smith and Jones stood near the corner talking, 
when Smith cries out: "By the way, Jones, have 
you seen Adams lately?" ''Indeed, no, but how 
strange that we should both think of Adams at 
the same moment." They go on talking, when 

Karmenia will not tell me what they are going 
Adams appears, and both exclaim: "Well, well, 
speak of the devil and his horns appear." 

Now, then, there must be an answer to that. 
What is it? It is simply this. Smith and Jones 
were busy and some of their soul atoms took 
the liberty of running around, coming across 
Adams, who was also busy. They made inquiry 
and found Adams had just thought of them. 



216 



They hastened back and reported. It proved 
Smith was the strongest clairvoyant, and got the 
report first, and so an old mystery is cleared up. 




Cut No. 39 



Cut No. 39 is also found in Cosmos, in back part of this 
book. It is used here to more forcefully impress on the reader's 
mind that he is not one person, but many in one, and that each 
of these entities may have a world of his understanding, as dis- 
tinctly a world to him as ours is to us, just as your dream was 
a different world to you last night. 



217 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Karmenia Takes Me on the Longest Journey 
Ever Made by Man. 

He who through immensity can pierce 

See worlds on worlds compote one Universe. 

Observe how system into system ran*, 

What other planets circle ether sans. 
What varied being peoples ev'ry star, 
May tell us why Heaven has made us as we are?" 

And this is but one of a series of trips while 
explaining the mystery of God's universe, in all 
of its ramifications. I see the imaginary universe 
and I see the imaginary God and the real God, 
the imaginary hell and heaven, the real hell and 
heaven, the imaginary universe and the real uni- 
verse. 

The little taste I had of the trips with my 
beautiful sweetheart by travel and vision had 
sharpened my appetite for more, and I begged 
Karmenia to take me with her in the realms of 
space and show me the wonders of other worlds. 

One morning, just after my discussion with 
Prof. Owen and prior to my second lecture before 
the investigators and students of chemistry, I sat 
wondering over the great problem of life, when 
my thoughts reverted to my loved Karmenia, and 
I cried, ''Karmenia, Karmenia, Karmenia, thy 
name, thy name, why didst thou not give me thy 
real name?" 

At my call Karmenia appeared to me, all 
radiant with smiles, cheerful and happy as a lark 
in a summer morning. 

The reader has before noticed my domestic 
life, while a happy one, was not just roses, as I 
would like to have had it, yet the reader may not 



218 

be surprised to find my sweetheart, Karmenia, 
at times blended with my own sweet wife. 

My wife, poor woman, is not to blame for hav- 
ing such a cold, morose disposition any more 
than I am to blame for being over-affectionate, 
and forever worrying for the safety of my loved 
ones, while starving for affection, so you may 
judge when Karmenia did come to me where I 
could chat with her while gazing upon her loveli- 
ness, I did not like to be disturbed, especially 
by my wife breaking in upon us so suddenly, as 
she oftentimes did. Though my wife could never 
see Karmenia, she could hear me talk to her, and 
wondered what had become of my companion, 
and you can see it would be natural under such 
conditions that she should become jealous and 
annoyed. Yet, someway I thought it was serv- 
ing her right. But when the neighbors began to 
interfere and a vinegar-visaged old maid said, 
'Tf I was you I would find that hidden woman 
and beat her brains out, or have him shut up in 
an insane asylum, for he's certainly going crazy, 
or he has a woman hid somewhere." It was a 
little more than my. patience could endure and 
I requesterd my wife to keep out of my study 
when I was at work. 

Matters were becoming quite unpleasant, and 
it is possible a divorce would have taken place, 
but Karmenia would not hear of it. So my only 
real joy was when Karmenia would come to me 
for a pleasant chat or for a long journey through 
space. After a while these trips became very fre- 
quent. Some times seated upon a ray of light 
with my celestial sweetheart, traveling two hun- 
dred miles per second, I longed for an eternal 



219 

life of such sightseeing, but this was often too 
slow, as we visited stars which took three mil- 
lions of years for their light to reach us, at that 
rapid process, so we were often compelled to 
lake wings of thought to reach the remote stars. 

Karmenia had just asked me if I would not 
like a trip through space to see the universe and 
I had replied I would when my wife interrupted 
us, and wanted to know who I was talking to. 

I replied in a snappy manner, "I don't know 
as it makes any great difference to you, since it 
is seldom or never you ask me a question on the 
subjects so near to my heart." And I followed 
Karmenia's beckoning to my room, we en- 
tered and I locked the door. 

Said Karmenia, "Lay your body upon the bed 
and we will take a trip through space and see the 
universe." 

I caught Karmenia in my arms and gave her 
one long, loving embrace, and then stretched. my- 
self upon the bed and left the body and started 
with Karmenia on the longest journey ever taken 
by man. 

As we rose from Mother Earth, high into the 
heavens, and looked back upon the fading land- 
scape, my soul was filled with amaze at the awe- 
inspiring grandeur. The earth did not look like 
a ball, but like a great saucer, with the sky com- 
ing down to meet the outside rim of the saucer. 
It was a beautiful sight. But it was only for a 
moment, and then it began assuming the form 
and color of a gray ball, but as we reached the 
Moon and were about to alight, I looked back and 
saw the earth, spread out in a great white disk of 
dazzling brightness, and yet there seemed to 



220 

float over the face of the earth a fleecy white 
cloud hardly discernible, which was our at- 
mosphere, of course. 

I was surprised to find the Moon entirely dif- 
ferent from what I expected. I expected to find 
the Moon without an atmosphere, uninhabited, 
possessing huge, rocky crags and peaks, without 
a vestige of verdure, and to look down from 
these mountain peaks upon great sandy plains 
and craters, which radiated and reflected back 
the sun's rays with such intense heat it would 
remind one of a fiery furnace. 

I found the Moon with an atmosphere very 
light and pure. The surface of the Moon ap- 
peared much like a honeycomb or a sponge, and 
tar down in the cells I could distinguish an 
abundance of pure, clear water, which every now 
and then arose in light mist above the surface 
and fell back in delightful showers, and this was 
so very light it was more like the Earth's dew 
than like a misty rain. But it was sufficient to 
supply the Moon's surface, between the sponge- 
like cells, with a rank and beautiful growth of 
verdure, superior to anything we ever had on 
earth, yet differing so widely from Earth's ver- 
dure as to be no comparison, as the verdure was 
so ethereal and light it seemed itself but a mere 
shadow or ghost of vegetation. 

I was about to ask Karmenia if the Moon was 
inhabited, when I beheld shadowy forms flitting 
here and there among the light, airy and grace- 
ful verdure. These beings were beautiful crea- 
tures, and their only occupation seemed to be 
lovemaking, laughing, chatting, or flitting from 



221 ' 

place to place like humming birds over a flower 
bed. They did not walk or fly, but simply seemed 
to float from place to place. 

I was about to ask Karmenia to exlain mat- 
ters concerning the Moon when she anticipated 
my desire and shook her pretty head and said, 
"No, not yet." 

So we passed on and would have been unob- 
served by the inhabitants only for the fact that 
a child, beautiful and sweet, came and sat upon 
the leaf of a gigantic lily right beside me; its at- 
tractions influenced my mind beyond reason. 

The scene was so tempting that I caught the 
child in my arms and caressed and kissed it. 

The act was a foolish one. The child seemed 
terribly frightened and gave an electric tremor, 
but emitted no sound, or if it did the atmosphere 
was too light to carry a sound wave to my ear, 
but every flower and bit of verdure took up the 
tremor and vibrated and re-vibrated until the 
very heavens was rocked with vibrations, and I 
feared I should lose my balance, which I certainly 
should only for the wisdom and power of Kar- 
menia, who set up a counter-vibration, and 
brought harmony out of chaos. Just at this mo- 
ment we found ourselves surrounded with vast 
numbers of the Moon's inhabitants, who gazed 
at us in half fright and half curiosity, something 
as we of earth would gaze upon a spirit. 

Karmenia took me by the hand and we left 
the Moon and its inhabitants in amazement to 
puzzle and wonder what were the strange figures 
which appeared and disappeared so suddenly. 



222 



Karmenia now produced the wings of thought 
and we continued our journey. On through 




On the wins* ottiiou&ht,tirinenia. 

the be&utim ceiesmr maim $nd i ' 

tusM tRFQu&h SPice, from surto stir 

atones of wut we Siv/ inj keiTd. 

A TRW TO WF^MTEKQIIEg.mX 



space we sped, past our Sun, past old' Neptune, 
three billions of miles from the Sun, yet on, on 
we sped through space. Karmenia would not 
even give me time to. make a mark in my note- 
book. We never stopped until we reached Alpha 
Centaura, the nearest fixed star to our system, 
which is twenty billions five hundred millions of 
miles away. Now you can get a faint idea of its 
distance from our system by noting these few 
facts. Light travels from the Sun, ninety-five mil- 
lions of miles, in eight minutes ; yet light requires 
three and a half years to travel from Alpha Cen- 
taura, so you can see light was too slow for Kar- 
menia and myself to travel on.. It is true. our 
course led us in a different and almost opposite 



223 

direction. Perhaps the reader can get a better 
idea if he stops to think if he had an arm long 
enough to reach the Sun and burned his finger 
there, it would require a hundred and fifty years 
for the sensation to reach the brain. Now, if you 
stretch that arm to Alpha Centaura and burn 
your fingers, it would take thirty-five millions of 
years before you could feel the burn. 

If this is our nearest fixed star, the reader can 
get a faint idea of the enormous, distance it is to 
Sirius, which is one thousand times brighter than 
our Sun, yet so far dstant it is a mere twinkling 
speck in the sky. We cannot comprehend the 
great distance we are from some of those mighty 
suns. Although we traveled with the speed of 
thought we visited suns so much further away 
than Sirius that no astronomer has ever con- 
ceived of the great distance, much less to calcu- 
late it and make it comprehensible to man. Al- 
though the crucifixion of Christ took place nearly 
two thousand years ago, and the story must be 
sent out to every part of God's universe, and 
though it traveled with the speed of thought it 
never has and never can reach the far distant 
suns in any one direction. Then think of the un- 
told millions of stars to visit. 

Recently the French Academy of Science had 
a map made of the firmament, which faithfully 
represents the heavens, with stars up to the four- 
teenth magnitude, and which embraces thirty 
million stars. 

Oh, God of Wonders, why did you make man 
so small and your universe so great? 



224 



The Scriptures tell us the very hairs of one's 
head are numbered, and the fool cries out: "How 
ridiculously impossible." Yet man seeks to num- 
ber the stars in God's universe and to aid him to 
understand he draws such comparisons as fol- 
lows: 

"To form some idea of the largeness of the 
earth, one may look upon the landscape from the 
top of an ordinary church steeple, and then bear 
in mind that one must view nine hundred thou- 
sand similar landscapes to get an approximately 
correct idea of the size of the earth. 

"Place five hundred earths like ours side by 
side, yet Saturn's outermost ring could easily 
enclose them. Three hundred thousand globes 
could be stored in the Sun, if hollow. If a human 
eye every hour were capable of looking upon a 
fresh measure of world material five thousand 
miles large, that eye would require fifty thousand 
years to overlook the surface of the Sun:" Yet 
our Sun is as small in comparison to suns Kar- 
menia and I visited as our earth is to it. Take 
Canopus, for instance. 

Rigel, a star of the first magnitude, in the 
constellation Orion, we found so far distant that 
our scientists had no means of estimating its dis- 
tance, yet men tried to estimate the number of 
stars in a given space, and looked upon the state- 
ment of God's numbering the hairs of a man's 
head as ridiculous. 

Says the authority before quoted: 

"The magnitude of the number of stars in the 
heavons is appalling. Besides single stars, we 



225 



know of systems of stars moving around one 
another. Still we are but a short ways into space 
as yet. Outside our limits of vision and imagina- 
tion, there are no doubt still larger spaces. The 
Milky Way holds at least twenty million one 
hundred and ninety-one thousand stars and as 
each is a sun, we presume it is encircled by at 
least fifty nlanets. Counting up these figures, we 
arrive at the magnitude of one thousand million 
stars. Who can comprehend it? Still this is only 
a part of the universe. The modern telescopes 
have discovered more and similar Milky Ways 
still further away. We know of some three thou- 
sand nebula which represent milky ways like 
ours. Let us count two thousand of them as be- 
ing of the size of our Milky Way. then multiply 
c thousand million by two thousand and you 
have two trillions of stars, and yet we have not 
begun to comprehend the possibilities of man's 
enumeration and calculation; then to think of 
the infinity of individuality counting downward 
among the atoms, which are thinking entities, all 
environed in worldly conditions of their own. 

It would take thirty-seven thousand of our 
years to count an English billion, at one every 
second. So you can get a glimpse of the com- 
parative weakness of man in his endeavor to 
grasp the wonders of the universe. 

Although Karmenia gave me extra powers to 
grasp the vastness of the universe, I saw how 
utterly impossible it was for us to visit every 
sun and its sattelites, yet Karmenia again called 
my attention to the fact that nature abhors 



226 



monotony or sameness, and as she never makes 
two things just alike, Karmenia assured me that 
no two of these heavenly bodies were exactly 
alike, and as she had enabled me to prove every 
atom was an atom of mind or point of force, cap- 
able of organizing kingdoms, of great power of 
intelligence, I could readily see that if a great 
God of organic power did not always exist to 
sway the universe, evolution w T hich the material- 
ist admitted to be true, and which had eternity 
of the past to work in, would surely have evolved 
a God. Karmenia acknowledged this to be a fact, 
and said God always existed. 

We now landed on Canopus, a star in the con- 
stellation Argo, which is thousands of times 
brighter than the Sun. Though here I could not 
help noticing the resemblance in. some things of 
these mighty heavenly bodies, to poor, puny men. 
How often we notice how some men, on account 
of their greatness, are given credit for the wis- 
dom or power of others, who are far wiser and 
greater than they are, though not so well known. 
I found it just so with some of these great stars. 
They sparkle with borrowed splendor of stars far 
greater than they, yet in range, but so far dis- 
tant they could not be distinguished as separate 
bodies. To use the words of Prof. Newcomb: 
"You can better understand my meaning ii you 
imagine a candle in the darkness an eighth of a 
mile away; then place lamps in range one exactly 
behind the other an eighth of a mile apart, in- 
creasing the size until the largest one is a mile 
away, and then you may notice your candle will 



227 

be shining with borrowed plumes of greater 
bodies far beyond it." This I found to be the 
fact with some of the great stars. Though God 
knows, Canopus I found great enough of itself. 
To give you some idea of its magnitude, if it were 
hollow there would be room for thousands of 
suns like ours to be stored inside of it, and it is 
an old and finished sun like ours, with many more 
sattelites revolving around it. Though it is not 
as dense as our earth. 

Let me here tell you, dear reader, as I have 
shown you, everything is mind; life, composed 
of atoms or points of intelligent force, various 
bodies or kingdoms are continually forming, so 
every one of these heavenly bodies, small or 
great, vapory or condensed, are inhabited by be- 
ings fitted to their conditions. 

Karmenia and I undertook to circumnavi- 
gate the exterior of Canopus, and we slowed up 
to the speed of a railroad train at a mile a minute, 
but this we found would consume too much time, 
so we continued on the wings of thought. The 
reader can get a better idea of that by suddenly 
transferring himself from point to point over 
space he once traveled, by suddenly thinking of 
first one place and then the other. He will natur- 
ally suppose we did not have time to observe 
conditions and landscapes while traveling at that 
great speed. But Karmenia was equal to all occa- 
sions, and she produced conditions whereby we 
were able to see and understand everything as we 
proceeded. After such a trip I no longer doubted 
that all things are possible with God. 



228 

The atom, I always found, expanded accord- 
ing to the density of the heavenly body it was a 
member of. And so the physical structures of a 
body were always in corresponding size to the 
body itself, so that all organic forms on the 
mighty Canopus were as gigantic in proportion 
to the body as itself. Although we ourselves 
found we were wonderfully expanded, we were 
mere specks in comparison to the gigantic forms 
ranging over the vast surface of Canopus. The 
body magnified two thousand times. 

I remember once on earth I was using my 
microscope, when Karmenia called my attention 
to a little bug about the size of the point of a pin, 
and when we brought it under the object glass 
of the microscope I found it appeared like a mon- 
ster with a great armored shell and scales, mon- 
rste claws and nails, a head and snoot, with pow- 
erful jaws, teeth and tusks, eyes of fiery red, and 
protected by enormous folds in the structure of 
the head. Though this to our outer sense was too 
small to be classified by our scientist, a mere 
speck to the naked eye, it was composed of as 
perfect an organism as any monster I feared to 
face. And as perfect as the giants I found on 
Canopus, and it fought, mastered and devoured 
as perfect organisms as itself, invisible to my 
glass of two thousand diameters. Karmenia 
assisted me, and I assure you while posing as the 
bug I felt myself of as much importance as any 
of the big bugs of your social world. 

While on Canopus I felt myself as small in 
comparison to the inhabitants of Canopus as that 
bug seemed to me. 



229 

Karmenia and I stood upon a mighty rock, 
looking down an abyss thousands of feet, when 
some of the inhabitants strode over the very 
uneven surface of Canopus. I was terribly fright- 
ened, but Karmenia, with the quick wit of a 
woman, pulled me down into a crevice, and the 
monsters straddled over the space, and one plant- 
ed his gigantic foot directly over us and passed 
on, but we lay snugly in the crevice, as you have 
seen a bug in the crack of the floor remain in 
perfect safety while a man's No. 10 foot stood 
directly over him, but we were not so fortunate 
when the birds came looking for food, and one 
of them swallowed a berry which we were stand- 
ing on, and we were imprisoned and passed 
through his gizzard and intestines of the bird, 
and out with his excretia. Although this was 
rather unpleasant, I was not sorry for it, as it 
gave me a chance to study the nature of the bird, 
and his process of digestion, for you see we were 
a part of the bird for the time being. There was 
one serious thing connected with it which came 
near binding us to that sphere, for God knows 
how long. We came near losing our wings of 
thought, which, if it had taken place, we could 
not have left that vicinity for many ages. But, 
after all, it was the best thing that ever happened, 
as the following story will prove. We had trav- 
eled nearly all over the face of the great globe, 
sojmethings passing through indescribable fis- 
sures and caverns, which ran in all directions 
through the Canopian mountains, of which the 
mountains of our earth would appear like mere 
mole hills, but unlike such places on our earth 




230 

they were never dark. You cannot find a dark 
place on Canopus. The fact is, the giant Globe, 
the Globe of the Giants, is surrounded by a vast 
luminous mass, which shoots out jets of light 
both ways from the sphere and inward, reach- 
ing and lighting up every crevice. 

This is a body of highly advanced soul atoms. 

Notwithstanding the difference of vegetable 
and animal life on Canopus, of which I am sorry 
space will not permit my going into details, in 
many ways, it resembles earth on a gigantic scale. 
Yet there is more beauty and harmony there than 
on earth, judging from a native's standpoint. 
That is as "distance lends enchantment to the 
view," so does the closely formed compound re- 
veal less imperfections to the human eye. There- 
fore, the eye of a Canopian, accustomed to the 
expanded, loose and mighty structure, does not 
notice the unevenness that our eyes, accustomed 
to things of smaller and more compact build of 
earth, would notice. We were like a miscroscopic 
bug crawling over a man's hand, porous and 
hair-clad, where streams of perspiration threat- 
ens its destruction. 

The becoming a. part of the bird's structure en- 
abled us to more readily enter into the under- 
standing of the things and affairs of Canopus. 
We saw a number of people in bathing, and it 
was very amusing to me, for the people were so 
very large the molecules of water were as big as 
marbles, and appeared more like gas balls, or 
soap bubbles, than anything else. Yet they were 
soft and pleasant to the touch. 

Karmenia and I found a pretty pool of water 



231 

as clear as crystal and we determined to enjoy a 
bath. We found it so exhiliarating it was almost 
intoxicating. We were enjoying it immensely 
when all at once we felt ourselves lifted out of 
the pool, and yet we were in a large body of 
water. I was about to ask Karmenia what it 
meant when she spoke quickly and said: "Re- 
member the bird and hold your identity. Forget 
nothing." The next thing I noticed we were 
passing the lips of a giant Canopian. 

As you could store three hundred millions of 
globes like' our earth in the great sphere Canopus, 
and vegetation and animal life, including man, is 
built on this' gigantic scale, you may imagine 
our comparative size to the giant Canopian who 
swallowed us in a great gulp of water. He drank 
from a cup as large as a hundred railroad tanks. 

Karmenia and I clung together hand-in-hand 
as we ran down the gullet of this mighty being, 
and though we maintained our identty we could 
not entirely resist the influence of the surround- 
ing conditions and associates, for now we were a 
part of the Canopian we felt the influence as 
much as an Englishman feels the influence of his 
surroundings when he comes to the United 
States and finally loses his identity as an English- 
man and becomes an American citizen, and if he 
came here a child he forgets or nearly forgets 
his birthplace. It is very much so in reincarna- 
tion. Just so with us. We took on so much of 
the conditions of the Canopian we should have 
lost our memory of past events only for a tre- 
mendous effort to retain it. We soon became a 



232 



part of the Canopian system and sympathized in 
a measure with his every act. He was a great 
warrior and hunter, yet a loving- husband and 
father. 

So much did we partake of his feeling that I 
was surprised to find Karmena expressing joy 
over his success and conquests, and I certainly 
know I felt proud of his achievements as if they 
were really my own. 

Instead of passing away from him as we did 
from the bird, we entered his blood vessels and 
went whirling through his veins. We now looked 
upon his children with endearing kindness, for 
he was the father of several. We also looked 
upon his wife with great affection, yet while we 
remained with him seemingly a great length of 
time, actually taking part in all of his sorrows, 
joys, hopes and fears, we were still able to com- 
prehend we were experiencing worlds of our 
own 

While we were a part of the Canopian's system 
he went on a great hunt and sort of summer out- 
ing, with several others of his class. 

I must call attention here to the fact that 
whether it was an atom of oxygen capturing two 
atoms of hydrogen to form a molecule of water, 
or whether vegetation building its structure from 
captured soul atoms from atmosphere and earth, 
or whether a bug too small to classify, or man 
engaged in the chase, or a gigantic sun attract- 
ing from space the entities of less size and power, 
war and capture is the legitimate law and love 
of nature. 



233 

In this case a long period was spent in killing 
and eating the wild game, also of drinking the 
juice of a berry called the avia berry. This was 
very pleasant to the taste and very stimulating 
and the soul atoms of the berry were very active 
and continually urging the Canopian to bring 
more of their kind into his system, just as for- 
eigners of any nation colonize and try to get 
more of their people with them. (This explains 
inordinate habit). 

Instead of using his self-control and denying 
them the right to make it unpleasant for the older 
inhabitants of his kingdom, he acted like a petty 
politician and encouraged the colonization, until 
he corrupted his whole system. He pleased him- 
self and the avia berries and lay drunk for days. 
This made him sick and many of his faithful soul 
atoms left him. But Karmneia and I joined others 
and fought hard to control his king soul atom in 
the solar plexus to stop his takin gany more of 
the drink and to expel those soul atoms from 
his kingdom. 

He had also overloaded his stomach with the 
foods he carried with him, together with the 
slaughtered wild game, and the influence of these 
soul atoms in his system was like too much 
immigration to the United States. They could 
not be assimilated fast enough and disorder was 
the result. Instead of his blood flowing in un- 
broken harmony, the soul atoms congested in 
colonies desiring to leave his kingdom and un- 
dertook to break out through the skin in sore 
boils. We finally got him to let the avia berries 



234 

and their juice alone, and stop eating, and only 
lo drink pure water, and we finally saved his 
kingdom — his body — from destruction. I could 
then see how a man is a god, and how he can be 
a very good god, making his kingdom har- 
monious and happy, or how he can be a fool god 
and make his kingdom miserable and finally de- 
stroy it. Therefore, no man has a right to com- 
plain of the rulers of his country, his God or his 
destiny, until he learns to rule his own kingdom 
and discipline and direct the soul atoms of his 
kingdom in harmonious accord. 

Karmenia and I had now become very dear to 
the soul atoms of his kingdom and we sat in coun- 
cil on the throne, with numerous other soul 
atoms, even having won over some of the soul 
atoms who came into his kingdom with the avia 
berries. Some thought that we had such an influ- 
ence over the king that his kingdom would al- 
ways last. But we warned them that the time 
would soon come when, through uncontrolled 
passion, he would expel us from his kingdom. 
That time soon came, for he returned homeland 
though his system had not entirely recovered 
from the shock and disorganized condition, the 
remaining soul atoms of the avia berries were 
still active and urging him on to passion. 

His wife was a quiet, beautiful woman, and he 
loved her dearly, and of course, we shared in his 
feelings until at last in an outburst of uncon- 
trolled affection he expelled us from his king- 
dom and we became for a time a part of Mrs. 
Canopian's body. 



235 

I must here relate a thing- I had often noticed 
on our earth. A woman may have an absolute 
dislike for certain fruit or other food or drink 
and determine to never touch it, believing it 
wrong to partake of it. Yet during the period 
of gestation she may be seized with a morbid 
desire to partake of that article; never had the 
desire before, and never does again after the 
child is born, but believing it wrong, she will 
never touch it. The consequence is the child will 
be born with an everlasting desire for that food 
or drink. While, had she tasted it, the desire of 
the child would never be manifest. Well, while 
Karmenia and I were dwelling in the kingdom 
of the Canopian's wife, I longed for the pleasant 
companionship of some of the soul atoms of the 
avia berries, but she, believing it was wrong to 
partake of them, would not touch them, conse- 
quently I was born into the Canopian world with 
an inordinate thirst for the juice of the avia 
berries. Even now, since I returned to earth, I 
have such a desire for that berry that I fear when 
I die I shall wing my way to that distant sphere 
to once more taste the intoxicating juice of the 
avia berry, which I never knew except while 
dwelling in the kingdom of the Canopian's body. 

You can see by this, dear reader, the power 
of environments and conditions, and have pity 
on your brother, born under unfavorable influ- 
ences, and try to correct the conditions and false 
systems rather than the indivdiual. 

At this time a difference arose between Kar- 
menia and myself, which for a brief time, looked 
to me as if it might destroy the, harmony be- 



236 



tween us forever. 

I have often called the reader's attention to the 
fact that an organic body is divided into mole- 
cules and atoms. A molecule is the smallest 
indivisable form of an organic body. An atom 
is the smallest indivisible element in existence, 
while an atom is so infinitesmally small to our 
senses, every atom is a thinking entity, and unit- 
ing with other atoms, forms a molecule, the mole- 
cules unite and form organic bodies. Thus from 
3 grain of sand, through vegetable and animal 
life, to the most gigantic Sun, are nations or 
kingdoms, presided over by a ruling atom, which 
is the soul. 

Every organ of the body has its commander, 
who reports to the next commander above him, 
and so on to the supreme ruler, whose home is 
as near the center of the structure as possibly 
can be. That in man is in the solar plexus, or 
abdomnial brain, which lies between the stomach 
and spinal column. 

It is these commanders that constitute the 
spiritual body of man. 

Let the reader remember, Paul says we have a 
spiritual body and we have a material body. 

It is these commanders that select the atoms 
for rebuilding each separate organ of a body, 
and when a body is materialized at a spiritual 
meeting, it is these commanders who borrow 
the soul atoms and molecules from the medium, 
and from all present, even from all substances in 
the immediate vicinity, which can be used for 
the temporary body. 

As these molecules and atoms must be bor- 



237 



rowed from other bodies the organism cannot 
last long, as the greater number of them must 
be borrowed from the medium, the strain is very 
great on the medium, and if some skeptic grasps 
and holds the materialized body, the shock to 
the medium is so great that every atom of the 
remaining body and clothes fly instantly to the 
rescue, and the skeptic finds he holds the medium, 
and so the medium is denounced as a fake, where- 
as a great damage may be done to the medium's 
physical body, as well as to his reputation, and 
to the cause of true investigation. 

This is not written to hinder investigation or 
deny there are fake mediums, but to explain the 
necessity for a milder and more searchnig man- 
ner of investigation. 

To reorganize and perfect a spirit body, it must 
be done by a new birth. That is the meaning of 
the passage in John iii., 5-7: "Except ye be born 
again ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven," 
(i. e.), cannot form a perfect kingdom. 

Some of the ancients could not understand 
that and so the priesthood substituted baptism, 
and called it "born of water." 

If the commander of any function of a body 
becomes selfish and tries to build 'his particular 
function too fast, or is indolent and does not 
built fast enough, the next physical kingdom will 
show some function with abnormal growth, 
which may cripple the whole form, or it may 
show the work of a selfish or indolent command- 
er who, because of his neglect of his own com- 
mand, may, to please his fancy, have been help- 



238 

ing the commander of another function, thus 
building an abnormal growth of one function at 
the expense of another, and this will cripple the 
whole organism. 

When a man's spiritual body is freed from the 
worn-out material body, it at once seeks con- 
genial conditions. If the mind and spirit is of a 
high order, it may float from place to place in 
the spirit world, seeking pleasure for a long time, 
until this becomes monotonous, when it will 
wish to make a farther progress to a higher plane 
of God's plan, then, noticing the mistakes it had 
made in a former life, the spirit seeks the indi- 
viduals in earth life that are strongest in that 
particular function of which he is lacking, and 
attaches himself or herself to that organism, and 
dwells with it until expelled from the positive 
organism to a negative organism, which permits 
and assists in rebuilding another independent 
body. 

It will be seen here that a spirit body may 
unconsciously be swallowed and remain a part 
of another organism for a long time before it 
recognizes that it is a part of that kingdom. 

Here I must admit my personal weakness, for 
several previous lives to the present earthly con- 
dition I had been attached to the household of 
kings, priests and politicians, and had indulged 
the commander of my stomach, consequently by 
overfeeding I had so disorganized that organ 
that while dwelling in the bodies of my Canopian 
parents, I permitted the commander of the 
stomach too great a latitude of action, and he 
insisted on making too much of the acquantance 



239 



of the soul atoms of the avia berries. 

Karmenia continually warned me against this 
folly, until I became angry, and as this enlisted 
the atoms composing both the soul atoms of the 
spirit bodies, as well as the new forming ma- 
terial bodies, also exciting the soul atoms com- 
posing the material body of our Canopian moth- 
er, until it threatened the destruction of all. 

At this point Karmenia called my attention to 
Genesis xxi, verse 22: "And the children strug- 
gled together within her, and she said, if it be so, 
why am I thus ? And she went to inquire of the 
Lord." 

Twenty-third verse : "And the Lord said unto 
her: 'Two nations are in thy womb, and two 
manner of people shall be separated from thy 
bowels, the one people shall be stronger than the 
other people, and the elder shall serve the young- 
er." 

Here with Karmenia's help I readily recog- 
nized the meaning of that passage, for she was 
raising hob with me for building so many of the 
soul atoms of the avia berries into my kingdom, 
as she said it would surely corrupt my whole 
organism and I would fall back to the lower 
animal life, or possibly to inanimate form, as the 
wife of Lot, for the folly of looking back, lusting 
after the pleasures of past experiences instead of 
using the short time she had to perfect her king- 
dom, went back to the inanimate form of a min- 
eral, or a pillar of salt. 

Any human being who lusts for a thing he has 
learned is not good for him, and indulges that 



240 

desire, forms a habit that may destroy his king- 
dom body; thus an indulged thought may set in 
motion conditions that may bind him to a sphere 
for a great length of time, or by carefully con- 
trolling his thoughts he may make his next rein- 
carnated life such a success that it will prove to 
be a heaven. After a length of time he learns this 
an drises anyway. This answers Mr. Hodges' 
great question: "Some are born to honor, others 
to dishonor; some to wealth and others to want; 
some in the midst of crime, ignorance and- sor- 
row, others are born in happy conditions. When 
and where is the law of compensation applied to 
equalize these conditions, or why should these 
things be?" 

It does not matter whether it be two atoms, or 
two suns, friends will differ, and likes and dis- 
likes arise, just as hydrogen and oxygen cling 
together, forming water, and it requires great 
force to drive them apart, while hydro-carbon- 
ates, such as gasoline, fly apart easily, and if you 
add nitrogen you make a kingdom of nitre-glyc- 
erine, which flies apart at a mere jar. 

It was forming inharmonious combinations 
that caused Jacob and Esau to contend with each 
other before birth, and it nearly separated Kar- 
menia and myself, and often causes great inhar- 
mony between brothers and sisters, thus condi- 
tions make man what he is, and natural selection 
has as much or more to do with man's nature 
before his birth as after. 

Had Karmenia and I not felt at home in the 
Canopian's body we would have passed from him 



241 



as we did from the bird, but feeling at home and 
anxious to explore the new surroundings, we 
saw his body as a new world. We died — left 
his body, to be born in a new world, when again 
we died in the new world of our mother's body, 
to be born as babies in the Canopian world. 

At last the hour came and we were expelled 
from the lady's kingdom, and the joyous report 
was spread abroad that Mrs. Canopian was the 
mother of twins, a lovely girl and boy. Then 
the neighbors came rushing in to see the new- 
born children, and we were tossed around from 
one to another, and the pretty young girls cud- 
dled and kissed us. I remember I could see and 
converse with the soul atoms of both Mr. and 
Mrs. Canopian's kingdoms, and one of the pretty 
girls cried out: "J ust see, this baby laughs as if 
he saw some person from an unseen world." 
Which, of course, was a fact, for I was virtually 
beholding friends of three worlds. I now re- 
member of witnessing just such appearances with 
my own children, as I believe they were in 
transit between two worlds. 

Karmenia and I could converse with each 
other readily at all times. We noticed our fath- 
er, Mr. Canopian, seemed weaker and not so 
regular and happy, as when we were a part of 
his kingdom, yet he often came in to see his 
babies and seemed much pleased with them. 

We grew very fast and w^ere quickly recog- 
nized as rulers of the household by our Canopian 
father, mother and brothers and sisters. Every- 
body gave way to the promising babies and 



242 



great hopes were expressed of the influence we 
should sway in the Canopian world. As this was 
a family of very high standing, there is no doubt 
we might have swayed a tremendous influence 
on this monster sphere if we had cared to stay. 
But we had determined to leave. 

We had now grown to be children of five years 
of age, as Canopians, yet with Karmenias power 
we were gods. So one day we strayed out to a 
clifT near our parents' house and suddenly left 
our Canopian bodies and they fell over the cliff. 
It was soon discovered and the little bodies were 
iaken up and much sorrow expressed over the 
painful accident. 

The reader will notice this accounts for acci- 
dents and sudden deaths. The soul awakens to 
other duties and departs. 

Here is an experience I wish every reader 
would notice. We had a Canopian father, moth- 
er, sisters and brothers, who had been very kind 
to us, and would either of them willing sacri- 
ficed their own lives to save ours. Could we 
help but love them? As we now remember them 
can we help but love them now? This act of 
ours was a link of love between our earth and 
the far distant sun, Canopus. You poor earth- 
bound souls, who fear you may not meet your 
loved ones of earth, remember you have untold 
millions of loved ones of the ages past, and when 
you learn to love God, you love your loved ones 
of the past and love yourselves, and that love is 
the harmony of the universe, you will be very 
near to God's kingdom. 



243 

Karmenia soon had our wings of thought in 
working order and we left Canopus and wheeled 
out through space. We now visited the pole star, 
Spica, Rigel, Sirius, and the seven stars called 
the Devil's Cup, or the Hyades; also the superb 
Aldeberan, or Bull's Eye. Vega and Thuban, 
which was our pole star about 2500 B. C. We 
also visited that mighty and malignant star in 
Scorpio, Antares. He appears from earth a 
bright red, suffused with green, but looking from 
earth he is shining with borrowed glory, as sev- 
eral other great stars far beyond him add to his 
light, and they are all as malignant as he is, so 
when the signs and constellations were together, 
the sign Scorpio, astrologers put down as a very 
malignant, or an evil sign, it is not so con- 
sidered now, since the signs have moved thirty 
degrees west of the constellations. 

We also visited Arcturus, which is said to be 
the only star spoken of in the Bible by the same 
name by which we know it. 

Karmenia and I had a varied experience as we 
moved from star to star, examining each with a 
critical eye. On, on, we went, far beyond the 
bounds of earth's best telescope. 

When first I laid by body on the bed I did not 
expect to be gone long, or at least did not think 
about it one way or the other. But as we sped 
on through space and minutes slipped into hours, 
hours into days, days into weeks, months, years, 
and we were often imprisoned on some planet 
or star, just the same as we were on Canopus, 
and as the revolutions of no two planets were 



244 



just alike, one felt as if he were with a thousand 
clocks, all set at different times, and some run- 
ning fast and some slow, while between the 
heavenly bodies in space there was nothing to 
regulate or judge time by. 

The distance we traveled, the wonders we 
saw, the experiences we passed through, spend- 
ing great lapse of time on some of the large 
bodies, where we became imprisoned in the king- 
doms of some of their inhabitants, was the only 
possible way we could estimate time. I say we, 
I should say I, for time did not seem to trouble 
Karmenia in the least. 

One day we were sitting on a mountain peak 
of a small planet, the hundredth satelite of a sun, 
untold billions of miles beyond our earth's best 
telescope, while noting the points of resemblance 
in vegetation and animal life to our earth, when 
recollections of the past came before me. I cried 
out, "Oh, Karmenia, thy name, thy name, thy 
name; what is thy name? Ever since I first saw 
thee, have I followed thee amid sorrow and amid 
pleasure have I followed thee, thou mysterious 
one, and yet I know not thy name. It seems 
but yesterday on the battlefield I pledged thee to 
seek truth for thy sake. Then did I become the 
husband of another, eye, and a father, a busi- 
ness man, seeking earthly treasures for my loved 
ones, and all the time I sought for truth, and 
thou, oh, mysterious one, thou bade me not to 
leave my wife and children to follow thee, and 
then thou biddest me to follow thee into space, 
and in a thoughtless moment I followed thee, out 



245 

through the boundless space have I been roaming 
with thee, these untold ages, where moments 
have slipped into hours, hours into days, clays 
to weeks, weeks to months, months to years and 
years to ages, ages to cycles of time, and yet, oh 
Karmenia, Karmenia, we have not began the 
search for truth ! Look at the untold myriads of 
suns and planets before us; must we visit them 
all in search of truth, and then behold the scene 
repeated and repeated time without end, oh, 
loved one, can we ever reach the end? Can we 
ever find the Truth?" 

Karmenia laughed merrily and said: "Did I 
not tell you my name is Truth?" 

"Here," said she, "is a little allegory which 
will show you, you need not to have gone so far 
in search of truth," and she handed me the fol- 
lowing verses : 

ALLEGORY TO TRUTH. 

Alan dwelt with Truth in Eden's lovely bower, 
Truth was his queen, until the fatal hour, 
When reason tempted arid man fell to earth. 
The fall of man gave Discontent her birth. 

Truth fled from home and left her loved alone. 
Then for a time Faith occupied the throne. 
But reason woke ambition in man's breast, 
Faith plead with man; she failed; we know the 
rest. 



246 



With Discontent man sought for Truth in vain, 
While reason mocked and mocked and wrought 

him pain. 
Whenever Faith caused man on her to smile, 
Then Truth came back to dwell with man awhile. 

But Reason, ever a mischievous jade, 
Led man astray with wicked plots she laid. 
With labored effort Reason mounted high, 
With ease Faith placed her banners in the sky. 

Unhappy Truth ne'er had a place to dwell, 
'Twas sometimes Heaven or 'twas sometimes 

hell; 
So Truth, with man, could find no place to rest, 
For Reason said: "Man never is but ever to be 

blessed." 

I read the poem and then cried out: "Oh, Kar- 
menia, Karmenia, where shall I search for truth 
now that you have taken me from my loved ones, 
from my home, and I am lost in the wilderness 
of heavenly spheres?" 

Said she: "Oh, weak man, why doest thou imi- 
tate Lot and look back; wouldst thou return to 
thy home and thy loved ones and leave me?" 

I became excited and weeped bitterly as I 
cried: "Oh, Karmenia, Karmenia, think of the 
changes untold cycles of time have wrought." 

"Where are my friends, long passed away? 
Where is my home, that's seen decay? 
Has not My Earth, too, died like man? 
Where are they? Tell me, if you can." 



247 



Karmenia sprang to my side and embraced 
and kissed me and then cried: "Behold!" 

Dear reader/imagine my surprise, on sudden- 
ly finding myself standing beside the bed on 
which my body lay. 

As I stood gazing at my body the room and 
surroundings, all perfect, after this mighty lapse 
of time, and experiences of wonders, in astonish- 
ment I cried: "Karmenia, what witchery is 
this?" 

Karmenia smiled and said: "Oh, my loved, 
search after truth, canst thou not see there is 
no such thing as time, space or matter in the 
economy of God? 

"Last night you had a dream. Was not the 
matter real? Was not the space of your dream 
real? Did you mark the time how long, how 
real? Remember when you came near drown- 
ing, how every event of life flashed before your 
vision. There is no time, no space no matter. 
Sir Humphry Davey was right when he said, 
'There is nothing in the universe but points of 
thought/ Beloved one, thou art nearer to Truth 
than you think. I am thy sweetheart of 
eternity." 

Oh, reader, can you wonder that I love my 
celestial sweetheart, my glorious, my loved, my 
beautiful Karmenia. I know you wish to be iru 
troduced to her, but you must wait awhile. 




KARMENIA, MY SPIRIT SWEETHEART, 



249 



CHAPTER XXV 
Karmenia Gives Me Her Real Name. 

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose 
By any other name would smell as sweet," 
For naught so vile that on the earth doth live 
But to the earth some special good doth give 
Xor aught so good, but strained from that fair use 
Revolts from true birth, stumbling, on abuse, 
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, 
And vice sometimes by action dignified." 

— Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet. 

Again I call: "Karmenia, Karmenia, Kar- 
menia ! Thy name, thy name, oh, loved one of 
eternity, thy name, thy name; what is thy name?" 

Karmenia came at my bidding and right here, 
on my 75th birthday, 8 a. m., April 2nd, 1918, 
and this is what she says: 

"Oh, my loved one of eternity, your many 
friends will send to you for this book, knowing 
it is a mark of honor to have it lying on their 
table, for none but the wise, the lovers of Truth, 
will call for this book, to have the book lying so 
near them, on their table. But my name must 
be the talisman that leads them on. For they 
will wish to ask me questions. What is your first 
question?" 

"Karmenia, what constitutes the universe?" 

Answer : "My beloved, the universe is all that 
is knowable or unknowable to the finite mind." 



250 

When the finite mind can grasp the infinite, or 
know all, it ceases to be finite and becomes infin- 
ite, or joins the infinite, consequently at death 
the man ceases to be, and God is, for "What so- 
ever ye desire pray for (wish for), believing that 
ye have it and ye have it," say the Scriptures. 
Thus when a man dies, he goes back to the eter- 
nal whole, he knows everything because he is a 
part of everything, and he does not come forth 
from the whole, except as he is called forth, as 
was Samuel, by King Saul. Of course, Saul had 
to find a medium, one gifted by the Spirit. The 
Woman of Endor, like Christ, was so poor she 
had no place to lay her head, and she killed her 
only fatted calf to save the life of her repro- 
bate King, who had made laws against her kind, 
to please the wealthy priesthood. 

"The love of money is the root of all evil." 
See I Timothy vi., 10. 

Now, let that poor, ignorant, foolish person, 
who speaks of the Woman of Endor as the 
"Witch of Endor," go study his Bible, and especi- 
ally to read the first chapter of I Corinthians, 
10th verse, and ask himself if there are no spirits 
to discern why was a man given such a gift. 

Of course, you may go to a Spiritualist meet- 
ing and call for a friend who comes to you, and 
the medium is gifted as a discerner of spirits. 
See I Corinthians, 1st chapter. It is your pres- 
ence that brings the spirit out, who may not 
wish to come. If this spirit carried too strong 
a memory of the past with it, it will be unpleas- 
ant for the spirit, just as your last night's dream, 



251 

if unpleasant for you, you had rather forget it 
as long as possible. Thus, you see, the search- 
ers after spiritual communication should be care- 
ful, that he or she does not invite more trouble 
for both self and friends than they gain pleas- 
ure. 

"Oh, my beloved, you have been searching and 
longing for a spiritual companion, and I came 
personified, out of the great sea of thought, and 
I blend with all you love on earth, and yet I am 
an individual character, because you want it so. 
I am a part of yourself or I become for a time a 
part of anything else, and come back and tell 
you of what I saw. I love you because I love 
myself, and I love myself because I love every- 
thing else; this leads us both to love every atom, 
or a universal harmony. We are part of the 
eternal whole. An individual who wrongs an- 
other wrongs himself and must pay the penalty 
by having to live the same life he causes that 
other to live. You and I are happy because we 
ignored inharmony in those ages past. So, be- 
hold the 'Truth/ for my name is 'Truth/ which 
nothing but wisdom, experience, knowledge of 
true wisdom and faith that the Carma, or 'Kar- 
menia' wisdom. Truth Karmenia brings. Oh, 
my beloved, let us live together forever. 'Kar- 
menia/ 'Truth. 1 



y }f 



252 
ALEGORY 



Eternity once more conceived, 

And from the depths came brilliant day. 
The sun burst forth with streams of light 

To drive the gloom of night away. 





Man came with the blooming morrow, 
Hope led Ambition in her train; 

Smiling Folly led in sorrow. 

Falsehood came tripping forth with pain. 



Wit and Joy now came together, 

Falsehood stalked in with grim Despair 

Truth came sadly forth with Pity, 
Then Valor led in Fame, the fair. 




Last of all a grimy monster 

Came slyly forth with bated breath, 

Friend or foe man knew not whether 

All called this grimy monster Death 






253 



Man took a walk with Truth and Joy, 
Falsehood stole forth on mischief bent. 

Selfish Greed, with man's ambition, 
Now led him on with Discontent. 



URANUS. 




Truth disrobed to bathe with glory, 
Weak man with joy was much pleased. 

Falsehood saw Truth's robes of beauty 
And quickly on the garments seized. 

r 

Truth, naked, foolish man despised her; 

He now pressed Falsehood to his heart. 
Pity shed her tears with sorrow; 

Poor Hope now felt Wit's keenest dart. 

Fate and Man were next to quarrel. 

Ambition urged Man on to fame. 
Folly and Pain joined hands with Valor, 

Poor Joy now hung her head in shame. 





mmmmmmm 



All too late man sees his error, 

Truth, naked, mates with grim Despair, 
Falsehood exposed, Ambition flees; 
Death ends all mans' earthly care. 




PLEJkSE BEAD THIS 

IBEFJkCI? 

I started out to publish one lecture but so many 
friends asked "will you mention this and will you 
mention that?" I concluded to give the bulk of 
three lectures. I sometimes erroneously use the 
term Christian church where I ment authordoxy. 

Some times I may seem harsh in my criticisms, 
I beg pardon, I do not wish to offend, please 
over look and accept what seems good to you.. 

I know there are many intelligent people who 
have a faint memory of past lives, and will find 
their own thots reflected here and would like to 
have their friends read this little book. To such I 
will say I will mail you three for fifty cents, eight 
for a dollar. Some may even find it profitable to 
handle the work. Hoping you and I may become 
better aquainted I am yours truly, the author. 



registered with the Librarian of Congress 
"Washington jd. c. 1909. 

By Lyman -b. stowe. 



TITLE PAGE 



THE COSMOS. 

IS 
A BOOK OF PHILOSOPHY, SCIENCE AND 
THEOLOGY, combining three public lectures. 
Entitled WHERE DID WE COME FROM?' 
WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR? WHERE ARE 
WE GOING TO? 

ANSWERED FROM A SCIENTIFIC STAND POINT. 

The strange phenomena of spiritualism 

ACCOUNTED FOR. THE GROUNDS FOR ATHEISM 

destroyed. Materialism ended for ever. 

a beautiful foundation for the christian 

CHURCH TO REST ON WHILE CORRECTING PAST 
ERRORS. 

By 
LYMAN E. STOWE, 

Author of "Poetical Drifts of Thought" 

"The Agnostic's Lament." "The Universe." 

"What is Coming," "Bible Astrology," 

"Right Hours To Success," "My Wife 

Nellie and I," "Secrets of Palmistry," 

' 'Astrological Periodicity" 

And other works. 

Published By 

MILDRED K.. STOWE. 
131-13? Catherine St, Detroit, Mich. 




TEB IAMB Of DESTINY OB 

WHERE DID WE COME FROM, 
WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR. 
AND WHERE ARE WE 
GOING TO? 

A LECTURE DELIVERED BY PROF LYMAN E STOWE. 
BEFORE THE FIRST SPIRITUALIST CEUCH OF 
DETROIT MICH AT THEIR TEMPLE, SUNDAY 
EVENING MAY 10th 1909. 

Ladies and gentelmen while this is my subject 
to night I shall take for my text Proverbs 5-7. 
" Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore of all 
thy gettings get wisdom, get understanding. " 

My friends how can a man get wisdom, get under- 
standing if he is bound to creedes and dogmas? 

Christ said/' Where two or three are gathered toga- 
ther in my name there am I in the midst thereoff." 

He did not say two or three of any particular 
denomination but two or three in his name., which 
stands for wisdom, for understanding, for all that 
is good. Thus when a person honestly and earnstly 
seeks the truth in Christ's name, Christ is there. 
He favors it 

Creeds and greed have been a stumbling block 
in the way of human progress for all ages. The 
many branches of paganism were continually 
fighting about whose idols were the best. Catholicy 
was forever contending with paganism, and finally 
adopted most of their forms and ceremonies. 

Between Mohammedanism and Budhism on the 
one hand and Catholicy and Proetstantism on the 



2 

other, they have deluged the world in blood with 
their religious wars; nor is that all, each of these rel- 
igious classes are divided into sects and factions, 
who are contending with each other, a unit in lit- 
tle, until a step of progress is taken and then they 
unite in branding it the work of the devil, as they 
did Galileo's discovery of the motion of the earth. 
They condemned the discovery of the circulation 
of the blood as ridiculous, the discovery of the div- 
isibility of matter, they ridiculed, and condemned 
printing as the- work of the devil, and you still have 
the p: inter's devil and the hell box as a reminder 
of it. We have records, even so late as 1854 of 
towns in Ohio where the church people objected to 
the use of the school house for public meetings to 
discuss the merrits of a projected railway, as they 
claimed railroad and telegraph lines were the works 
of the devil. They said if God had wanted such 
things He would have spoken of it in the bible, yet 
as soon as railroads became an assured fact these 
superstitious objectors to human progress claimed 
the glory of leading civilization and pointed to 
bible passages to prove railroads were predicted 
in the bible. 

A creedless church is needed, where the people 
who love truth better than forms, better than 
creeds, better than show, ca-n find rest. We want 
people for such a church who can recognize, ''The- 
re are tongues in trees. Books im running brooks, 
sermons in stone and good in every thing." instead 
of telling us God teaches us to love our enemies and 
to do good to those who despitefully use us, while 
He builds a hell to roast his. Again, while they 
pacify people, who are without homes, by telling 
them Christ had no place to lay his head, while 
they continue to build stone temples to a god who 



3 

can build worlds by a mere command. They never 
think such inconsistencies destroyes faith. 

Ecclesiastes tells us, "In much wisdom is much gr- 
ief; he that increaseth wisdom increaseth sorrow." 

If we ask the reason why knowledge increases 
sorrow, we will quickly find it is because it opens 
our eyes to the depravity and weakness of man, 
increases our wants end fills our souls with 
longings, which may or may not be for our good. 

Ecclesiastes-9th-20th tells us "Wisdom is better 
than strength, never the less the poor man's wis- 
dom is dispised and his words are not heard." 

The truley great men of all ages have come from 
the ranks of the poor and the lowly. Washington 
could not spell well yet he was the father of his 
country. The great Lincoln, a back woodsman, 
self educated and was expected to merely act as a 
figure head and to step aside and let the wealthy 
w r ise run the government, but he quickly taught 
them their places and that he was not only the grea- 
test statesman but the greatest general of them all. 

Columbus was robbed of the glory of his discov- 
ery and our continent bears the name of a wealthy 
pretender. At a banquet some of the wealthy dig- 
nitaries, in a snearing way, declared it was not 
such a great thing to discover a new continent. 

Columbus replied, "No, neither is it a great thing 
to make this egg stand uprigt on the small end, but 
which of you gentelmen will demonstrate your 
ability to make it so stand? After all had tried and 
failed, they declared it could not be done. Colum- 
bus took an egg and ^racked the shell on the small 
end, thus making a flat surface, he stood it up with 
ease, and then all cried out "it is trick." "Yes" said 
Columbus, "but why did you wise gentelmen not 
discover how so simple a thing can be done? 



Christ had no creeds, no church, no place to lay 
his head yet his pretended followers continue to 
stick to creeds and to build magnificent temples 
and to trample on truth. 

WHAT IS TRUTH? 

Down thru the ages of the past 
Since man knew man, from first to last, 
Each age has asked, from sage to youth 
Why are we here and what is truth? 

No matter, whether king or priest 
They were no wiser than the least. 
When Pilot asked Christ to release 
The truth to him. '"Chri-t held his peace. 

The truth was left for man to find 
That all is God, and God is mind, 
If matter does exist, at best 
It is God's will made manifest. 

When e,re the plan of God was laid 
And all that is, from God was made 
jje destined when his work is done 
Truth shall be known, that all is one. 

In listening to what I say to night, I want you 
to forget your creeds and beliefs, and listen .to 
reason alone, and if station in life has any bearing 
in your minds, forget that I am a poor man, like 
your selves, seeking truth. 

Pope, the poet tells us "The proper study of 
mankind is man." He also says- 

"In parts superior, what advantage lies 
Tell for you can, what is it to be wise? 
'Tis but to know how litle can be known- 
To see all others faults and feel your own, 



Condemned in business or in arts to drudge 
Without a second or without a judge; 
Truths would you teach, or save a sinking land 
All fear, none aid you, and few understand. 
Painful preeminence your self to view 
Above life's weakness, and its comforts too." 

In these days of scientific research, when we be- 
gin the study of nything, what is the first thing to 
do? Is it not to analyze the subject matter in hand ? 

If we are to analyze man we must begin with his 
physical and mental structure. Man's physical 
form, we say, is made of matter, and receives his 
impressions thru vibrations, as follows. Light and 
heat are the result of accelerated motion of the 
ultimate atoms. Light, heat, sound and color are 
clostly allied expressions of vibrations upon the 
human mind. 

That sound and color are produced by one and 
the same cause or vibration, on slightly differing 
planes, has been scientifically demonstrated 

The five senses are feeling, seeing, hearing, taste- 
ing and smelling. That these- are each and all diff- 
ering phases of one and the same cause is manifest, 
when we reason from caus to effect 

If light is manifest to us thru vibration, and 
color is the result of rays light and differing shades 
of color can be produced thru the manipulation of 
a sounding board, we have traced the expression 
of three of the senses to one caus e- vibration. 

We know that sound produces a sense of feeling, 
hence we have disposed of sight, sound., and feeling. 
Let us now show taste is but one phase of the 
sense of feeling 01 vibration. 

The tendency of oxygen is to fly away from heat, 
the atmospheric pressure of 14 pounds to the 



drives it back, and this causes a rapid motion of 
the atoms. Sugar being composed largely of (; rl on 
and oxygen, held lightly together, it disintegrates 
quickly and the oxygen attacks the first carbon 
that comes in its way, which in this case chances 
to be, in that of the tongue. The tearing away 
of the atoms, or cuting sensation we call sweet 
tho, as in some cases in childhood, when we 
ate too much sugar the tongue got sore. Enough 
light is pleasing and a necessity while too rr uch 
light is blinding, A harmonious sound ismusic to 
the ear, but loud discord ent sounds may breake 
the drum of the ear, so becomes a dangerous touch, 
just as a little cuting is sweet too much a sore 

Scent orsmell is but the ticklling of the 
noistrals by volatile gasses. 

Having shown that every one of our five senses 
depend upon the material plain for its impressions 
we are compelled to admit man's spiritual, as well 
as his physical body must be organic. 

Here we are compelled to stop and ask our selves, 
what is matter, and where did it come from ? 

Unless we can reasonably dispose of this part of 
our subject we can never hope to analyze either 
the physical or spiriitual structure of man, 

Shall we admit that mind created matter? If so, 
out ot what was matter created? Or shall we say 
mind is the outgrowth of matter, or are thev co- 
existent? 

Most people believe there is a creative princiule 
we call God, and why do they they beh ve this ? I 
will not attempt to tell you why others believe it 
but I will tell you why I believe it. 

I am compelled to admit that man is here, in 
various stages of mental capacity and I ask where 
did he come from? 



I find man must have got here by one of two pro- 
cesses, either he was created by spontanious mental 
action, or he c me thru a process of evolution. 

If man came by spnotaneous mental action it 
necessitated a special creative mind. 

I find plenty of evidence to show that man has 
slowly risen from a barbarian, I find thru a process 
of reasoning that he must have evolved from the 
lower animals, aye from the reptile, from, the 
worm, from vegetation; shall we stop here? No! 
No! No! We must go back to the elements cf 
which man is composed, and here we are compelled 
to analyze matter. Why must we analyze matter? 

Before we answer that question let us bring 
some of the many evidences, that go to show man 

is an evolved being. I ne ed D ot caution the wise that 
without reason there rever would be any other worship than 
that of fire or 6ticks and Btones,or similar idol worship. ]i is 
the superstitious, led on by the interested selfish, who keep 
the world in darkness, by condemning and ridiculing every 
advanced thot and thinker, while they quorrel over whose 
idols are the best, ju t as did the idol makers of old, which 
of. It 



the bible speaks of. It is creed and greed, of indolent chnnh. 
pecple, coupled with superstition which is opposing Prof. 
Elliot, and his kind and hindering the progressive preachers 
of to day. Dr. Dods* gays "He who cant reason is a fool, and 
he who can and wont reason is a bigot.,' He who, thru 
reason enlightens his fellow man i-hould be honored 1 y tl < .< . 

As before stated we find man is slowlv and pain- 
fully rising from a barbaric state, and it is his nat- 
ure to continually evolve something better, trom a 
crude form. From grass, he has evolved wheat, from 
a small love apple he has evolved the luscious to- 
mato, and the scientific agriculturist is continually 
evolving better kinds of grain and fruit and breeds 
of stock. The horse was once a five toed animal, he 
has the splints in the hoof the evidence of it; just 



as man has the muscles behind the ears, which 
show he once used them to waggle the ears, when 
he ran on all fours. He has the coxigeous, or the 
remains of a tail, the appendix, the spleen and 
other organs which show he is an evolved creature. 

Man shcw r s evolution in his taste, in his dress, in 
his language and in his mechanical creations. 

Man has evolved the shoe from the sandle ; you 
find the process in the button shoe, which passed 
away and left the buttons., for appearence. We still 
find in the little neck tie the remains of a stock or 
large muffler, our forefathers wore, which has come 
down to a small neck tie worn for appearence. 

We have the buttons on the back of a frock 
coat; who can tell what they were put there for? 
A hundred years ago our forefathers w 7 ore swords 
with a dress suit and the buttons were put on the 
back of the coat to keep the sword belt up trim. 
The sword is gone, the belt is gone but the 
buttons still remain. 

I need go no farther, every one who looks may 
find plenty of evidence of the effect of the laws of 
evolution 

Perhaps some of my audience are getting impa- 
tient and wish to ask where to find the connecting 
link between man and monkey. 

I will answer that question when you show me all 
of the connecting links between the most modern 
railroad train and a primitive w 7 heel borrow. 

Perhaps there are others who would admit 
evolution of kinds and classes, but not from one 
kind to another. 

The wood in a hammer handle is chiefly carbon. 
A piece of maple sugar is cheifly carbon, it is just 
as reasonable to declare the hammer handle w r as 



9 

always a hammer handle and the sugar always 
sugar and that they did not spring from one tree, 
or the same parent stock as to claim the ape was 
always an ape and the man was always a man, 
simpley because there is a trifling link between 
them which has never been found. 

I seem to hear some one cry "Now we have you. 
allowing evolution to be a fact, who created 
the first germ of life? 

Truly here is the meat in the cocoanut. Here we 
arrive at the real question of creation. 

We are forced to ask our selves is there an 
intelligent creative principle? To answer this we 
should first look at man and his works We see 
that man shapes the course and destiny of lower 
animals and uses, what we term, matter, and 
shapes it into a multitude of forms, not all perfect 
by any means, but each form created to serve 
some purpose other than its own. 

What conception could the domestic animal 
have of the Dart man takes in the propagation of 
his species ? Could he reason upon it would he not 
consider in man the attributes cf a God? 

Now ask yourselves if man was evolved from 
what we call matter, with the powers that we see 
he has over matter below him; we then ask has 
he not had eternity of the past, somewhere more 
favorable than we know of, to evolve a God whose 
power and purpose would seem as mysterious and 
unknowable to man as man's powers are to the 
lower animals? That is providing this God did not 
always exist. 

If a man finds a God above him will he not keep 
on going until a great universal mind controls all? 

Reason as you will upon this matter, you must 



10 

admit of a mighty controling mind, the master of 
the Universe. Here we are likely to find a stumb- 
ling block. 

If there is an all powerful God, where is He and 
what is his purpose? 

When the old religious teachers were asked that 
question, they flippantly replied " Every where." 

If you followed this up you were told "We must 
not inquire into such matters," and it is such 
teachings as that which has kept the world in 
darkness for ages. But, everywhere means there 
cannot be an atom, ever so small, but what God 
is there, or if there be one atom where He is not, 
then there must be more, consequently there is no 
room for anything else but God, otherwise He is, 
only, like one of our selves, but on a larger scale. 

We here come to a point where we must admit, 
if there is no room for any thing but God, mind 
and matter are one and the same thing, except as 
to quality. Now let us bring up the evidence to 
prove that it is so; then we will see where man 
came from, and we will try to find out what man 
is here for. 

We will now go back to our starting point and 
analyze matter; theoretically we will analyze a 
piece of sugar; to do this we must dissolve it in a 
little warm water, and then we have a transparent 
fluid we call syrup, sweet to the taste, we then add 
to that a little sulphuric acid, also transparent, tho 
slightly yellow in color and sour to the taste w r hen 
diluted, so we can safely admit it to the mouth. 

After adding the sulphuric acid we wait a few 
moments and the mass becomes as black as a piece 
of charcoal. We taste it and. find the nature has 
entirely changed there is no longer sweet there, 



11 

but it is as insipid as so much water and charcoal, 
which it virtually is, or is carbon in its purest state; 
tho the diamond is the same thing crystalized. 

We will now find a little yellow substa.nce in the 
bottom of the glass, this we find to be sulpher 
which went in with the acid. 

We can now see nothing but water, that we may 
continue the analysis we place in the water the 
two poles of an electric battery. The water begins 
to dissapear, we now place two fruit jars over the 
poles and cover the glass so nothing can escape 
After a while the water has all dissapeared We 
know it cannot have got away so it must have gone 
up in to the inverted fruit jars. We can sec nothing 
and feel nothing in either jar, but upon bringing 
one of the jars in contact with the noistrals, it 
causes us to throw back the head, in disgust, for 
a pungent odor is found there, where we know we 
placed none. This odor we call, Hydrogen gass. 
Until the Carthoid ray was produced Hydrogen 
was considered the lightest gass known to science. 
We cannot see feal or smell anything in the other 
fruit jar but when brot in contact with the mouth 
we get a sweet taste, this is the oxygen. I have 
before explained to you why we call it sweet. 

If we pour the two gasses together we aught to 
get the water back again, we do not and why not? 

The answer to that question is, because it requi- 
res force to seperate the atoms of gasses compos- 
ing the molicules of water and it requires force to 
drive them close enough to form the visible sub- 
stance we call water If we light a match and t<> ucn 
the gasses, the attempt of the oxygen to fly away 
from the heat, which it seems to dislike, causes an 
expansion, creating a vacuum in which the tenden- 



13 

cy of the atmospheric pressure of 14 pounds to 
the square inch drives it hack and with a mighty 
explosion two atoms oL hydrogen are driven 
within the orbit of one atom of oxygen, thus a 
molicule of hydro oxide, or water is formed. 

Repeating; it is supposed, 2 atoms of hydrogen 
are held within the orbit of the atom of oxygen, 
just as the Earth is held in its orbit arouna the 
Sun, so it cannot get nearer, nor can it get away, 
as it is held by the law of centripetal and centri- 
fugal force. Thus if you could look into a pail of 
water with a glass, strong enuf . it would look like 
a pail of shot, each revolving upon its axis and 
no two touching each other, and then if you could 
use a stronger glass it would look like a pail of 
large shot with two small ones revolving round it. 
All organic bodies are built up in a similar man- 
ner. The human body would look like a swarm of 
bees. Allowing each atom is a thinker it requires 
but a small stretch of the imagination to find a 
logical explaination to every siprit phenomenon. 

The above analysis shows us water is composed 
of two invisible gasses which under our manipula- 
tion has become the visible sol id substance we 
call hydro oxyd or water. 

On following up the analysis of the sugar we 
find that cane sugar is composed of 24 parts carbon 
and 22 parts, each of hydrogen and oxygen, 

I think I have made it plain that all organic 
bodies are made up about the same as the w r ater 
and sugar, that is of atoms of various natures, uni- 
ted in molicules, forming the general body, and 
man like the water or sugar is not as he *eems an 
opaque mass or solid body, but more like a swarm 
ot bees. This is nroven bv the fact that by the vse 
of the X-rays a photograph ot a substance may be 




ANALISING A PIECE OF LOAF SUGAR 

The above cut represents process of analysation of a piece ^of 
loaf sugar, No 1 a piece of sugar, No 2 a glass of water, No 3 sul- 
phuric acid, No 4 a glass of water with the poles of a battery in 
it, No 5 an electric battery, No 6 fruit jar to catch the Hydrogen, 
No 7 a fruit jar to catch the oxigen gass, see description 
A pail of water, Page 12. 



ANALISING A PAIL OF WATER, 




PAIL°/WATER Under 

A : Microscope. : 

5tr»ng Enough 
Would Appear Like Shot 



Two atoms of Hydrogen unite with 
one of oxigen forming a molicule of 
water, If the pail of water could 
be seen with a strong glass, it would 
appear like a pail of shot all revol- 
ving upon their axis, and if it could 
be viewed wLh a stronger glass, it 
would appear like a pail of large shot 
with two smaller shot revolving around 
each one of the large shot. 

These are the two atoms of Hyd- 
rogen, held in their orbit around the 
atom of oxygen, just as the earth is 
held in its orbit around the sun. 




THE UP-BUILDING OF MAN, MANY IN ONE. 
Cut No 4. shows an orator, or a man of talent, who has been 
re-Incarnated many times, and his kingdom is in harmony with the 
soul atoms he has drawn to him, and they are helping him to become 
successful and great. [See pages, 13-14 & 15. ] 

A little study along this line will convince the reasoner, that 
world building is the foundation for evolution that is incomplete 
without re-incarnation, and that the spirit state is a period of rest 
between incarnated lives. 

Each one of these soul atoms, is as proud of his world, or kingdom, 
and independent life, as we are of our country. 

Keep your thoughts pure, and you will not only benefit in a future 
life but here and now. " I will be, what I will to be." 



13 

taken thru the body, and thru a closed leather 
pocket book besides. This proves two important 
points, first that the human body is not a solid 
opaque mass and secondly that the atom of hyd- 
rogen is not the smallest indivisible atom but the 
X-ray is still smaller, and still an atom, call it ion 
electron or what you will. 

I will now proceed to show that there is no such 
thing as inert matter, but that every atom is an 
in dependant thinking entity, which may some day 
become the ruling atom, or directing atom of a 
solor system, aye of the universe. We understand 
all organic bodies are built up by accretion and 
pass away by erosion, this is just as true of a solar 
system as of a man or of the least organic body. 

Let us note how a part of your body may have 
been a part of my body a year a go or visavis. 

Animal or plant life, put in the fire, decomposes 
by the action of the oxygen of the air, when it 
comes in contact with matter under sufficent heat 
pressure The oxygen seems to dislike heat ard 
tries to fly away from it, thus expansion takes 
place and the force that holds the molicule toget- 
her is over come by a greater force and the organ- 
ism is broken up. leaving the elements free to form 
another body, when the conditions are right, 
which immediately occurs in this way. The atmos- 
pheric preassure of 14 pounds to the square inch 
forces two atoms of hydrogen within the orbit of 
of one atom of oxygen forming a molicule of hyd- 
roxide or water. Two atoms of oxygen are held in 
the orbit of one atom of carbon, thus forming a 
molicule of carbonic acid gass. It is the same pro- 
cess in rusting or decaying matter, thus when you 
eat the food it assimelates in the stomach and goes 
out and builds up one end of a muscle ; you breath 



14 

the oxygen of the air in, and the heart and lungs 
force it out thru the blood vessels and two atoms 
of oxygen grasp one of carbon on the other end of 
the muscle and bring it out of the mouth in the 
form of carbonic acid gass. This is an invisible 
substance. What becomes of it? 

Every waveing leaf in the sun shine has its little 
lungs which breath in this gass, and the plant 
throws out the oxygen, and builds the carbon in- 
to its own stru^tor; you eat the plant, or eat the 
animal w T hich ate the plant, and build that carbon 
into your system, thus a part of my body may have 
been a part of your body,, a year ago, or viseavise. 

If it be true, as I shall attempt to prove that it 
is, each one of these atoms is a thinking entity. 

I may well ask, what impressions did I leave on 
those atoms while they were a part of my system? 

Indeed, am I not my brother's keeper? 
The bibl tells you, "Man was made in the likeness 
and image of his Creator." If so man is a miniture 
universe, and if that be true the spirit can easily 
see what you have built into your system, will you 
be ashamed or proud of what you have attracted to 
you? Remember "birds of a feather flock together." 

As man stands at the head of all known animate 
life and that he "Is wonderfully and fearfully 
made," is readily understood when we consider 
that the organs and functions in man are almost 
innumerable. He has 24^ bones, 63 of them in the 
head, 24 of them in the sides, 16 in the wrists, 14 
in the joints and 108 in the hands and feet. 

Of chords, muscles and fleshy organs, want of 
time forbids my attempting to discribe, as these 
are made up of untold millions of self acting organ- 
ic bodies, which obey the command of the sou? 
of man, according to its ability to govern. This 



15 

idea is substantiated by the Bible assertion "Ye 
are gods." 

The Lungs alone contain millions of air cells, 
which are composed of organic bodies or molicules 
made up of atoms. These cells in the lungs of an 
ordinary man, if spread out would cover a surface 
of 14000 square feet. Every nerve, every function, 
every convolution of the brain, is an organic body 
of thinkers, preside over by a parent, president, 
king, soul or a God, which ever you wish to call it. 
The heart of man, an organ less than 6 inches 
long and 4 inches wide, beats 70 times a ninute, 
or over 100 000 times per day, and forces thru 
it 7 and three fourths tons of blood every day; in a 
process of purfication. The weight of blood in a 
common man is from 30 to 40 pounds, so you see 
with what mighty speed it must be driven thru the 
arteries to reach a volume so great. 

Every square inch of human skin contains 3,500 
pores, thru which the sweat roles in torrents. Each 
pore is a pipe a quarter of an inch in length, if all 
in an ordinary man were united, would make a 
canal 201, 166 feet long 

The body is a kingdom, with its many depart- 
ments. The flesh, bones, canals, skin hair, nails 
and other exterior organs are made up of the com- 
mon people or laboring class, who are always 
the most numerous as well most ready to sacreifice 
self for the benifit of the kingdom, at the first call. 
The mouth represents the milling interests, the 
stomach the chemical and manufacturing interests, 
the heart and lungs is the power house, the blood 
is the transportation department. Desire is the 
means of communication, and the five senses are 
transmiting and receiving bateries, the head is the 
legislative hall; the eyes the windows; the brain the 



10 
legislative assembly. The Pineal gland, just over 
the eyes is the new hall The old hall at the base 
of the brain, ealled the cerebellum, is given over 
to the executive commites, where all demands are 
made, accounts audited, and wants of the kingdom 
looked into. 

The nerves are the trusted officers of the ruler 
and detective for^e, also the educators. 

Every department of this mighty complicated 
body, yes every function, is governed by a ruling 
officer who telephones the desires of his constitu- 
ents to head quarters, thru the law of vibration. 

Necessity being the mother of desire, calls for the 
supply to be equal to the demand, the department 
making the loudest call will get more than its 
share of the desires filled. If the total supply is 
not equal to the demand, the department makeing 
the loudest call w T ill get more than its share, and 
an abnormal growth is the result, and it is at 
the expense of the more modest. 

The process of evolution is this ; there is nothing 
in the universe but God, becaus if there is but one 
atom where He is not He is curcumscribed and is 
only like one of ourselves, but, on a larger scale, 
just as one man has greator powers than another. 

If all is God mind and matter are one and the 
same thing, and that matter on a lower plain of 
vibratin than our own conception of life we call 
matter that on a higher plain we call mind. As 
before stated, we can understand nothing except 
thru the laws of vibration, but what laws there 
mav be, above our sphere we do not know, so we 
must deal with creation as we find it. If as reason 
shows it to be. one, eternal whole; Nature is a 
unity, of which, diversity of manifestation the 
body is and God the soul, or invisible part. 



17 

Thus the scriptures are fullfiled "I the Lord am 
one God, and besides Me there is none else." 

All being one, and that intelligence or God he 
must have something to do There being nothing 
for him to do, except to think, his thots become 
reality, thus creation is going on all of the time, 
each thot an intelligent atom, an entity. When 
these atoms begin to unite in molicules they 
become the first seed, or germ of life ; the religious 
opponents of the evolution theorey have so long 
worried about. They could not recognize that 
every thing in nature is life and variety is the 
result of changing conditions. In their religious 
zeal they belittle God by discribing him as they 
would an exaggerated human being It is thrt 
class of religious prejuudice which has kept the 
world back from more rapid progress. They do not 
recognize the fact that their particul form of 
religion is but an evolved relic of a more crude 
form and that it is obeying the law of self presc r- 
vation, and that it in turn must give way to more 
advanced theories, and their religion become ex- 
tinct, just as many species of the lower animals 
have become extinct. This is the law, we call, 
4 'The law of the survival of the fittest." 

Man has slowly developed from the elements, or 
first principle, which started out creating large 
bodies or suns, who gather their food from space ; 
a waste matter sent out in light and heat, to be 
gathered in again for new building material 

The suns become the fathers of families or solar 
systems, (see process of building, in Stowe's Poet- 
ieal drifts of thot $2. #> Bible 

Astrology,. 1.50 Astrological Pereiodicity $5. Where 
more fully explained than space will permit here.) 

The satelites of the Sun are its children, and 



18 
the planets also draw food from space and magnet 
ic for^e and heat and light fromthe sun. Vegetable 
and animal life draw their substance from the 
earth or by appropriating that which some other 
body has taken from the earth 

The process of the up building of any self organ- 
ized structure is more mental than mechanical. 
Just as the pugilist eats raw beef and other fiber 
'building material and. then goes into training, 
that he may develope the muscles which will 
make him aperfect brute man. Tho he ate ever 
so much did he not exercise and keep his mind 
on what he wants to build he would merely 
become a useless hummock of flesh. 

When man began to build his first strcture, it 
was the formation of a molicule of water, formed 
because the conditions made it desirable for two 
intilligent atoms of hydrogen to unite with one 
intilligent atom of oxygen, forming the molicule of 
Hydro-oxyde or water. This is intelegence, the 
first germ of life on this world plain. The directing 
intelligence in the water began to subdue the fire, 
which had been created thru a war of the elements 
in the formation of the crust of the earth. 

As the water mastered the fire and the tired and 
sleeping elements in earth and water became an 
easy prey to the more active elements, the second 
attem.pt at forming an organic body was the weak- 
est form of vegetation., a little shifting sea wead. 

Vegetation found every thing conducive to its 
rapid growth, there w T as no competition and the 
sleeping elements became an easy prey, the rapid 
growth of vegetation soon caused a strong comepi- 
tion as the ready material was used up the more 
intelligent acting organic bodies became the pio- 
neers and broke away from the parent stem and 



19 

floating vegetation, the protoplasm which was the 
father of so called animal life. Tho the germ of 
life was found in the atom forming the first moli- 
cule the first vegetable life started the first spirit 
body that was finally to develope the spirit of 
man ; at the destruction of each organic body the 
ruling atom held enough of the atoms together to 
form the sprit or neuclus of another earthly body, 
and this is what Paul ment when he said, "We 
have a material body and we have a spiritual 
body," The soul is the atom who has, from the 
start, been the ruling atom of each successive 
earthly body. This was understood by the 
ancients, which gave rise to the idea of "The 
devine right of kings." The location of the soul is 
in the solar plexus or abdominal brain, this is a 
gray ma.tter lying at the pit of the stomach and 
between that organ and the spinal column. 

The Chinece idea, that the seat of the soul is in 
the stomach, no doubdt, got its origen from a 
knowledg of the atomic theory. 

Let us follow up the line of development and we 
shall find a scientific reason to show that it is 
in the proper location From the formation of the 
first molicule the leading soul atom became the 
builder of the temple of God this is what is ment 
in I Corinthians III 16th "Know ye. not that ye are 
the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God 
dweleth in you?" Every time a vegetabal or animal 
body died the atoms of thot returned to the great 
whole, each in its station acording to merrit, there 
to rest until reincarnation, unless called forth by 
some of our spiritulist friends as was Samuel, of 
old. Of course every time an organic body died 
and kissed the earth it had gained by its experience 
and became the Hercules of Methology, who was, 



20 
no doubt, an allegory of this very thing. 

As the first movable vegetation began its search 
for food, and attracted the most conganiel ele- 
ments to its self, it was compelled to appropriate 
such food by closing its self around the mass, and 
after seclecting what it wanted it nnwrapt and 
cast the waste material away. We find a similar 
thing in the nutlus or polypus growth of today. 

As conditions changed economy demanded a 
more practical form and an alimentary canal. As 
the tendency of every atom is that of a good citi- 
zen or soldier wishing to serve the soub king or 
community, therefore they are ever ready to sac- 
rifice self for the good of all and too often wantonly 
sacrificed to gratify pleasure. They died and bec- 
ame, what we would call, w T aste matter, but in 
reality to take a higher position in a new 7 body, 
haveing gained thru past experience. 

The new 7 torm was mrely a tube, in which the 
soul or king would, naturally, take the inside or 
most sheltered position, where it has held its po- 
sition ever since, tho it has an assistent at the 
base of the brain in the cerebellum, and another in 
the pineal gland, more directly in the top of the 
head and these three form the trinity, tho every 
muscle and every faculty has its commander who 
must report to those above him. 

Upon finding food growing scarce and with a 
desire to improve the structure, the soul teleph- 
oned, thru the law of vibration, to the hardy sold- 
iers cr atoms on the out side, to try to move to 
better quarters, slowly but steadily a wriggling 
motion took place and muscles were formed, the 
result of desire. 

As the formation became more and more refined 
the soul telephoned to the hardy soul atoms on 



21 

the out side to send in finer matter, these intellig- 
ent atoms drew them selves together and pucker- 
ed up the end of the tube, thus forming the first 
rudiments of a mouth. Still the soul called for more 
refined matter, when some of the expert atoms 
claimed they could smell the difference between 
the proper and improper material, consequently 
the mouth was contracted still more and a project- 
ion extended over This was the first rudimentary 
nose and its mission was to telephone to the mouth, 
"Something not wanted close up." Or it might be, 
"Open to the fullest extent a fine catch coming." 
Still finer material was called- for and some 
of the more expert atoms showed they could see 
farther than the others could smell and so the eyes 
were added. Still the call went on for finer material 
and food growing scarce they began devouring 
each other, this demanded a breaking up of the 
material, the effort to do this not only developed 
the muscles of the jaws and mouth but developed 
the teeth and glands as well, and always by the 
same process, (ic) the inteligent atoms filling the 
place where they are most needed. In this way 
bones, limbs, scales, hair, glands, nerves and not 
only every organ but every function and faculty 
were formed. Changing conditions not only 
created a demand for a greater variety of organic 
functions but a greater varity of animal forms. 

A pretty illustration of the truth that each 
organ is an independant, living, body may be found 
in the horse hair placed in a barre I of rain water 
soon dcvelopes independent serpentine action. 

This has been denied but thousands of country 
lads can testily to the truth of the matter. 

Let me now bring evidence to show that a con- 
tinually improving organic structure is an evidence 



22 

of the intelligenc of the atoms and that intelligence 
the result of experience gained in the many incar- 
nations, and showing clearly evolution and ren> 
carnation are corollary and a necessity to God's 
plan, it is also a strong evidence of a certian amo- 
unt of free moral agency else why do we reason or 
why develop the independent organs and functions 
of our physical system? At the sane time I will 
relate the strange fact that a Mr. Albert J Stanley 
a psychic foretold my future even to the words I 
would speak and the thots I would think On Feb. 
4th 1903 he said, " I see you go out with a neigh- 
bor to see some of his carpenter and joiner work, 
you are so well pleased you exclaim 'I have seen 
some of the finest buildings in our city but I never 
saw finer work." Continuing, he said. "I see you 
stop and gather some Burr Oak acorns I also see 
you go thru the Grand Circus park and as you 

pass on to Madison Av. you see Mr. commit 

suicide by shooting himself." At the date of deliv- 
ery of this lecture these events had not taken 
place, but Sunday Oct. 10 1909, 6 years after they 
were foretold me they did take place very nearly, 
as described, even to the name of the suicide given 
tho I did not know him and did not hear the name 
until I read it next day but it was the same as that 
given. While an experience of this kind is a stag- 
gering blow to the belief in free moral agency, yet 
it is no more so than is the Bible story of Christ's 
telling Peter, "You will deny me thrice before the 
cock crows." Peter declared he would not but did 
and then remembered what Christ had told him. 
If man is made in the image and likeness ot his 
creator man must be a minature universe, and has 
many intelligent forms within him Thus, the scrip- 
tural passage is made plain. "Ye are gods." 



23 

Pardon this long digression, and I will come 
back to the organism of man, a miniature universe, 
the arteries, veins and pores are the rivers and 
torrents in man's system, and so I might go on 
enumerating the likeness of man to his Creator but 
this will do. let us now. more clostly 

DEFINE MATTER. 

Matter is said to be d ivided into 71, some say 
73 elements. Oxygen is the most abundant of the 
elements, as it composes one fifth of the air, eight 
ninths, by weight, of water, cne half of the crust of 
the earth and three fourths of all animal bodies. 

While man is tactiuosly said to be composed of 
twelve pounds of solid matter wet up in about six 
pails of water, it is claimed by some that in man's 
body may be found a trace of every element, I here 
give a physicians analysis of a man's body weighing 
220 pounds. Oxvgcm 158 pounds, Carbon 43 poun- 
ds, Hydrogen 14 pounds, Nitrogen 4 pounds, 
Calcium 3 pounds, Chlorine 23 ounces, 

Fluorine 4 ounces, Sulphur 2 ounces, 

Potassium 2 ounces, . Sodium 2 ounces, 

Iron 1 ounce and phosphorus 24 ounces, chiefly in 
the bones. Let me now proceed to show that each 
atom is a thinking entity Of course this must be 
done thru a process of reasoning. 

MIND AND MATTER ONE. 

First we must admit of a Supreim intelligence, 
because we find intelligence in man and lower ani- 
mals, and this inteligen^e must have been created 
or evolved, if created it admits of a Supreme being, 
if evolved there is no room to doubt that in the 
eternitv of the past a supreme being has been ev- 
olved. We must then assume there is no room for 
any thing else but God, for if there is one atom 



24 
where God is not, he is circomecribed and 
becomes like one of our selves on a larger scale, 
if one eternal who 1 e He is many in one just as we 
know man to be many in one. 

THE ATOMIC THEORY. 

The atomic theory is. very old. The Egyptian 
sages and Hindoo philosophers taught that all 
sulDstance came from water. In other words water 
is the basis of all material formation. That water 
its?lf is divisible into atoms. Seeing water vaporize 
must have led them to that conclusion. 

Lucippas, a philosopher of Abdera, 450 B. C. is 
given credit of being the first to propound the idea 
of the divisibility of matter into atoms. It was 
afterward adopted by Democritus, in his Cosmog- 
ony but its greatest celebrity is ascribed to Epicu- 
rus at a much later period. Thoits real antiquity is 
beyond our calculation it is men of our times who 
trace the atoms to various elementary conditions, 
and thru the compounding of the elements trace 
the molicules, and that organic bodies are the 
Kingdoms of advanced soul atoms. The Atomic 
theory, supposes all substance, visible or invisible, 
to be divided into molicules and atoms. A molicule 
the smallest organic body and an atom the small- 
est indivisible portion of any thing, an ion or an 
electron is merely a strain of a — well a man to 
split an atom. An atom of lead is supposed to be 
eight hundred and eighty eight trillionths four 
hundred and ninty billonths of a cubic inch in size, 
yet this is large in comparison to an atom of Hy- 
drogen, and a mountin to a Rontigen ray. We 
cannot know that an atom exists, except thru its 
chemical action, yet all philosophy all reason all 
chemical experiment go to prove the existence of 



25 

the atom, and still the greatest minds for two 
hundred years have seen the possibility of the 
desso virig of those atoms into a sea of mind 
and that each atom is an individual thinker. 

Said Sir Isaac Newton, "I belive all of the mat- 
ter in the universe can be compressed into a globe 
one inch in diameter, and if to that why not to 
the size of a cherry, a pea, a grain of sand, there is 
nothing in the universe but mathematical points," 

Faraday went Newton one bettr, he declaired 
there is nothing in the universe but mathematical 
ipoints of force. 

Emerson said, "Matter exists, for us, onlv 
becaus our minds can perceive it." 

Twenty five years ago, Cook, in his New Chem- 
istry, gives us to understand he beleives every 
atom possesses its proportion of directing mind, 
this how ever, is a very weak statement as it is, 
in that case, no longer an atom but a molicule. 

From an article published in the N. Y. Herald., 
some years ago, under the caption of ' PHILOSO- 
PHY OF LIFE. Beliefs of Thomas A. Edison, 
the Electrical Wizard. Every atom of matter 
is imbued with intelligence. An Interesting Inter- 
view With the Great Inventor." I quote the foll- 
owing. 'I leave theoretical study to those better 
fitted for it. It is my belief, however, that every 
atom of matter is intelligent, deriving energy from 
the primordial germ. The intelligence of man is, I 
take it, the sum of the intelligence of the atoms 
of which he is composed." 1 There is much more I 
would like to quote, but must refrain for the sake 
of brevity. 

Earnest Loomis, one of our best students and 
writers of to day, says ''Every atom is a thinker." 



20 

The most eminently recogoized scientist of to- 
day Camille Flammarion, of Paris France says, 
"That which we call matter vanishes when scien- 
ter!^ analysis believes it has grasped it " 

It was lett for Lyman E. Stowe to declare "That 
whLm we call matter isthat mind on a lower nlain 
than that mind acting up on it." 

Sir Humphrey Davy, the noted English chemist, 
was the first man to experiment with protoxide of 
ozole (in 1799). During his first experiments he 
breathed too powerful a dose and lost conscious- 
ness. During this brief space of apparent annihila- 
tion, he experinced extraordinary cerebral impres- 
sions, which he remembered on awaking, at least so 
far as concerned their metaphysical consequences. 
Hisi deas recalled with energy burst forth in this 
sudden exclamation, which he uttered in tones of 
veh anient astonishment, "Nothing exists but thot. 
The Universe is compossed of impressions, ideas, 

pleasurs, and paiBB^ , --j5^i!^.-l*7^?lif.P!^™^S 

A great clairvoyant cries, "How can I describe 
the indescribable? Time had disapeared; space was 
no more. I fe t that thots were the only tangible 

things. "--Foot notes In The Unknown. 

Christian Science has for a long time held that th- 
ere is no matter, and been laughed at by the super- 
stious wise class who have ever blocked the way to 
human progress and then howled "We told ycu so," 
after a discovery became popular. I do not agree 
with Christian Science in ignoring medicine, for if 
the human being is made up of an aggregation of 
atoms of various" elements it may become sick bec- 
ause of a dis arangement brot about from a lack of 
the very elements the medicine would suply, or wo- 
uld aid in expelling it if in excess of the necesities of 
the body ; tho a chearful mind, full of faith is good. 



'J7 

This recognizing the soul in the beast is not a 

new thot. Says Ecclesiastes "Who knoweth the 

spirit of man that it goeth upward and the spirit 

of the beast that it goeth downward to the earth ?" 

Wise men and thinkers ot all times have 

believed the lower animals have souls. Here are 

a few names of the thousands of thinkers who 

believed the lower animals have souls. 

Martin Luther, John Wesley ' Topladay, Cowper, 
Southey, Bishop Butler, Pollock, Keble, The Poet 
Tennyson, Rev, Dr. Chalmers, Rev. Horatious 
Bonar, Gen. Gordon, Prof. Agassiz, Byron, Pope, 
Dean Alford, and I could quote at great length the 
names of thinkers who believed the low r er animals 
have souls, and why should they not have? Do 
they not display the same intelligence and meth- 
ods in supplying their wants that man does? 

We judge of the wisdom of man by his wants 
and his means of supplying his wants. We cannot 
judge by the individual but must judge by races 
and nations. The wants of an advanced people are 
many and their means of supplying their wants 
complicated. They want beautiful grounds, pala- 
ces, rail roads, steam boats, scientific instruments, 
art, music, books and the thousands of things that 
an inlightened people need for the elevation and 
happiness of a rising generation. The next lower 
down will want less and their means of supplying 
their wants are less complicated, and so on down 
the line until you reach the cannibal, his wants are 
very few, he can sleeD under a tree or a leaning 
stone, and for food, if he can get nothing else he 
will eat his fellow man Now draw the line for the 
imortal soul, has the wise one got it and the next 
not, or has he got it and the next not or has the 
cannibal, that monster who would eat you, got a 



28 
soul and your domestic animal not got a soul, he 
who would save your life, who would make a bet- 
ter companion than that monster you deny a soul, 
and it a part of God. for shame, for shnme. 

If the domestic aninal has a soul so must the 
wild animal have a soul, for he too has his wants, 
and his means of supplying his wants, and if the 
wild animal has a soul so must the reptile and inse- 
ct have souls, they each have their wants and their 
means of supplying their wants. The little earth 
worm, vho is said to be the lowest form of anima- 
ted life, crawls out of the ground, and seeks com- 
panionship because it wants it; nor can you stop 
here the tree sends its roots in the right direction 
for water, never in the wrong direction, it makes 
no mistakes; all you and I can do is to go for what 
we want, tho our means of obtaining it may be 
more complicated. The tree has been known to cr- 
ook its roots, two feet before it reached an object 
it could not avoid otherwise, seeming to use reason 
in doing so. The Star Fish is as much animal as 
vegetable as it uses enough reason to insert its 
roots in the earth to draw sustenance and to pu 1 
them out and moove to better feeding grounds, not 
only this but they exhibit some skill in capturing 
other food they take in thru the mouth in the ordi- 
nary way. I quote the following from the dalv press, 

"PLANTS HAVE EYES, CONSCIOUSNESS 
AND MEMORY,' SAYS DARWIN. 

DUBLIN, Sept. 9. 1909.- That plants really have eyes 
which see, as well as consciousness and memory and that they 
form habits much as the animals do. is the decisive statement 
of Prof. Sir George H. Darwin, second son of Charles Darwin 
and president of the Assocation for the Advancement of 
Science, now in session here. The t laim receives warm support 
from no less a scientist than Prof. Wager, who introduced ^hat 
he declared is proof positive that plants can see and think. 



29 

Prof. Wager startled the gathering of scientists by exhibit- 
ing photographs taken thru lenses formed by the "eyes" of 
plants. He showed that the outer skinx of many leaves are in 
fact lenses, much like the eyes of many insects, and that they 
are as capable of forming clear images of surrounding objects. 
This is especially the case, he showed, with plants that grow 
in the shade. These lenses are so good and focus the light that 
falls upon them so carefully that photographs can be taken 
by means of them. 

Some of Prof. Wager's remarkable photographs include re- 
productions from Darwin and Huxley, in which the features 
were distinct and unmistakable, as well as direct photographs 
of landscapes and people, Fven colored, photographs were ex- 
hibted, and these like the others were clearly defined. 

Not only do these plant- eyes see well, but the rays of light 
which are focused on the interror of the leaf are carried to 
the brain of the plant and effect its subsequent movements. 
It has long been known that the leaves of plants move so as to 
1 et the maximum of light, and the movement is almost ident- 
ical with the movements of animals, but the close analysis 
of the eyes proves them to be highly developed organs. 

I think I am making wonderful progress in brin- 
ging up evidence ot intelligent action in plant 
life, which goes a long ways to prove the truth in 
evolution, as well as that mind and matter are one. 

We must not supose we shall not have opposi- 
tion because men will bring up opposition, if for no 
other reason than for the sake of argument, and 
it is well to do so, however, the other side have 
some show r in the matter, but it is only on the 
materialistic side. 

Prof. Bonn, tells the Congress of Phychology 
that the impulse of plants and animals, including 
man are mechancical, in other words man is an 
intellectual cog, in a great machine yet w r ho is 
permitted to think he is the wole thing. The dec- 
laration, by Christ, that he was born to be cruce- 
fied and that Judus w r as born to betray him, also 
that Peter would deny him thrice before the cock 



30 

crowes, would seem to lend force to this idea, yet 
as the following quoted parragraph shows, the 
Prof, seeks to find an embrio moral facculty in the 
lower animals. I am sorry space will not permit me 
to quote the whole of this interesting article ; it is 
evident, however, that Prof. Bohn is not at all 
sure of the free moral agency of man, is clear. 
Raphael Dubois Responds. 

*'A significant response to M. Bonn's paper was made by 
Raphal Dubois, of Lyons, who took the debate to a new field 
by asking whether it was more legitimate to say: "See this 
world of apparent freedom, morality and beauty. It is really 
nothing but the product of mechanical laws," or to say. "See 
these apparently mere mechanical laws. They are really the 
germs of a complicated and beautiful world of , freedom and 
morality. " It was just as proper to explain the material in 
terms of the spiritual as the spiritual in termes of the material, 
he said. The scientific tendency was now to reduce everything 
to materialistic terms. The future would, perhaps, elevate 
everything to a spiritistic expression. Then it would be seen 
that the two things are identical, were points in his argument. 
Bohn was busy explaining human behavior by studying a 
fishing worm wriggling-; he himself was busy in finding em- 
bryonic moral faculties in the lower animals. The two methods 
would come out at the same place. This ended the debate. 
An extract from an article in the Detroit News Tribune. 
Prehaps, one thing neither of these gentelmen 
thot of is, the impressions of pain and pleasure we 
must endure or experience, whether it be the result 
of free moral agency or mere mechanical force. In 
either case what is it for ? 

From the evidence so far deduced we must 
agree with Dahoma Pada, who says " We are the 
result of what our thots have been." In other 
words thots are things, and the sum total of that 
thot we attracted to us in a former life we must 
inact in this life, and those thots we attract to us 
in this life will become our acts in a future life. I 
find very much to uphold this theory, and if it be 



31 

true, we should be very earful of what kind of 
thot we invite to us, by holding on to those thots 
whHi will become our acts of a future life to 
make us trouble, and how beautiful becomes the 
law of evolution and reincarnation. 

Pardon the digression and I will relate an exper- 
ience which adds weight to this theory of mechan- 
ical control of our actions. 

In 18-JO I was at the head of a pretty extensive 
commercial house when one day a traveling man 
from Boston entered our store and engaged me in 
conversation, which drifted out side our line of 
business, and into the relms of the spiritual. Said 
he," I can fore tell some of the future events of 
your life. 

"Well" said I "go on," and he went on. 

"I see you replaceing a conductor on your house, 
in place of one you just put up." 

"Why not the other one, on the other corner, 
which has been there for twenty years," I asked. 

"No. Said he, That's of better material." I knew 
it was, but how could he know any thing about it 
as he did not know where I lived ? 

Said he "You will build a ladder, out of inch 
stuff, for the purpose of putting up the conductor, 
finally a cap will blow of from your window and 
you will try to use the ladder to put it up, the 
ladder will be to short and you will run a board 
out of the window and call someone to stand on 
the long end while you stand on the other end to, 
put up the cap, the person will step off, the board 
will tip up and you will fall and be seriously injured. 
Not untill 10 years after did this take place, and 
then it took place in exactly that way, up to the 
point of running the board out of the window 
when I remembered what he told me and I with- 



32 

drew the board and the cap was not put up untill 
two years later when it was put up by the painter, 
I would not take the risk. 

An event of this kind leads us to suppose' we 
have some free moral agency. But. As every thing is 
thot,even the Suns and their satelites, are thinking, 
reasoning, animate beings, yet compelled to run 
in their orbits, thus curcumscribed by certain 
laws, so are we, yet we have a certain amount of 
free moral agency. He went on, "I see a man 
setting out a shade tree, you stand with your 
watch in your hand and tell him he may set the 
neighbors trees first, as you want tha Moon in the 
right place. Finally you te 1 him to cut' the top of 
the tree. He remonstrates but you will tell him 
you will be responsible for its living. As he cuts 
the top off you hand a small limb to your wife 
and tell her to put it in the ground and it will 
grow; she hands it to a neighbor, repeating what 
you said. The neighbor plants the tree, your wife 
plants a much smaller branch, both will grow well, 
but you will dig a small celler and throw T the dirt 
on the plant and kill it. A large tree now front of 
your house will blow down and your neighbor 
will give you their plant to replace it." 

All of this took place up to the point of throw- 
ing the dirt on to the plant, but I cleaned it off 
and the tree became too large to move. The large 
tree mentioned was destroid by wind, but my 
neigha- bor mooved their tree three miles away, 
so there has no tree taken its place. 

This experienc goes to show that plants have a 
destiny that may be read, in part, tho subject to 
change by the will of man. 

The strangest part of this story is yet to come. 

Said he, "Your cats will all take sick and die, 



33 

the rats will eat you up : your daughter will hear a 
cat cry and she will go get it. some where between 
a barn and a fence*, it will prove to be a very good 
cat, then an exelant cat will come to you, they 
will clear out the rats pretty fast. One day a rat 
will try to cross the street in the middle of the 
day that intelligent cat will take after it; a truck 
will be passing your house and the rat will run 
under the truck along side of the wheel, the cat 
on the out side, then the cat will drop back and 
then jump forward and catch the rat: it will be' 
witnessed by number of people sitting on your 
poarch." 

There was much more, very interesting matter, 
that he told me, I would like to relate, but it is 
irrevelevant to our subject These things occured 
ten years after predicted. It must have been orda- 
ined, or he could not have seen it. If a part was 
ordained the whole was ordained. It was ordained 
the rat should be there ; the cat should be there ; 
the truck and driver should be there, and that the 
people should be there for witnesses. It was des- 
tined the rat should reason that it was safest for 
him to keep the wheel of the truck between him 
and the cat, and destined for the cat to reason 
stronger and to drop back and then jump forward 
and catch the rat, and if it was destiny was it 
reason at all? It was also destined tor the rat to 
experience pain, and for me to sit here reasoning 
upon the whole matter, and to cry out "Oh God! 
Is this whole life's experience a mere dream?" 

Last night I saw new places, new faces,- 1 
walked, I road, I ate, I drank. It was only a dream 
yet all was as real as any thing in real life; why? 

The biggot cries. I do'nt believe! Bah. What is 
any one's opinion worth without investigation ? 



34 

I will run the risk of being called tiresom and di- 
gress a little farther, and relate other experiences. 

ONE EXPLANATION OF SPIRIT PHENOMENA. 

Every investigator of Spiritualism, who has conscientiously- 
sought the truth, without partiality or prejudice, has no doubt 
reached the conclusion that it is not all fake or trickery. But at 
the same time he has been perplexed at the contradictory and 
unsatisfactory results. It seems just as easy to get the spirit 
of a live man as the spirit of a dead man. Or it seems often 
perfectly easy to get the spirit of a person of the imagination. 
Our friends of the spiritualistic faith always have the ready 
answer, it is the work of lying spirits, but why lying spirits 
should be so over anxious to deceive us they never explain. I 
think I can give a better solution of the subject. 

If, as I maintain the Atomic Soul Theory be true, man has 
not one soul but thousands. In fact, he is continually throwing 
off conscious entities who have been part of himself and may 
have power under certain conditions to organize a body and 
present himself as the original. 

The Hindo Adepts claim a man may appear in a number of 
places, at one and the same time. 

A work of so undoubted authority as Encyclopedia Britan- 
nica, under the head of mysteries, cites a case where a certain 
Catholic Priest had promised to be present at a friend's funeral, 
some hundreds of miles distant. The Priest was taken sick and 
felt very badly because he would not be able to attend his 
friend's funeral. But a large number of people testified that 
they saw the Priest officiate at the funeral, while as large a 
number testified they saw him in his sick bed at home. 

The only answer to this is, these people were mistaken, 
which is improbable; or that they lied, which is unreasonable; 
or that the Priest had some means of appearing at two places at 
one and the same time, which is very remarkable. 

Some years ago I read an article said to be an interview 
with Kelleer, the Magician, in which it was claimed Mr. Keller 
made the statement that he was told by an Adept in India that 
he would be forcibly carried to Australia and held there for a 
year. At the date given, Mr. Keller went on board a ship to bid 
some friends good bye, and by some mistake, before he was 
aware of it, the ship was out to sea, and Mr. Keller was finally 
landed in Australia, where he was taken sick of a fever, which 
confined him in bed for the most part of a year in a delirious 
condition, but the strange part of it was that after he got home 
to England, his friends declared, they had seen him and talked 
with him several times while he had been conducting business 
at home during the same period he lay sick in Australia and that 
he knew nothing of it and was very much worked up over the 
matter. 



35 

There are many other strange things I could recite, whicli 
I have gathered in my many years of research, but this is 
enough for our purpose. 

If a man can appear in several places at one and the same 
time, then the idea of a single sub-conscious power will not 
answer this problem, but that he must have more than one 
entity, able to perform the feat. 

It is also true that an entity which organizes a body, by 
attracting harmonious soul atoms, has the power of organizing 
atoms to clothe the body. 

If all this can be done, and I believe it can, then much 
more in the same line may be done, and it is no wonder a 
hundred spiritual circles all calling for the spirit of Daniel 
Webster should each get a Daniel Webster, and as all men of 
the United States have not the same caliber of mind so all of 
the soul atoms of matter would not have the same capacity, 
hence we get some Daniel Websters who seem inferior to the 
original Daniel Webster. Yet they were a part of his organ- 
ism. 

I have attended Seances where materialized hands came 
out, with shape and color, scar and blemish, that were sworn 
to as belonging to. friends of those present. On one occasion, 
my son-in-law and several business men, friends of ours and 
myself, attended a Seance in which we put the medium under 
severe tests, and we examined the surroundings critically. On 
this occasion we got materilization of hands only. My son-in- 
law called for the hands of his father. When the hand ap- 
peared he grasped it and called to me, saying, "Is that not Pa's 
hand? See the forefinger is off; I know my father's hand, 
besides there is no one here with a part of the forefinger gone.' 1 
Thomas Crane, an old familiar friend, thought to have one test 
that none but himself should know, not even I, and he wore 
his dead brother's vest. When the time came for his brother's 
hand, the hand came out of the cabinet, and, mind you, there 
was no one in the cabinet, or trap doors, or possibilities for 
fraud. "There," cried my friend, "is that not my brother's 
hand?" His brother had been a lake captain and had a very 
rough and peculiar shaped hand caused by his rough sailor 
experience. I remarked, "That looks very much like your 
brother's hand." 

Said my friend, "If that is my brother's hand let him take 
hold of something I have of his." The hand reached out, took 
bold of the overcoat and pulled it, and then pulled his vest. 
"There," cried my friend, "there is a good test. I have my 
brother's vest on and not another soul knew it." 

"Well," said I, "Tom, if that is your brother's hand, why 
should he not know the coat from the vest? Why did he pull 
the coat first?" "My goodness," exclaimed my friend, ft I have 
got my brother's overcoat on and I did not think of it." 



36 

Now there was a Mr. B. present who said, "Now 1 wa*_. 
my brother's hand, a small wnite hand to come and take a 
memorandum book out of my pocket I have in mind and write 
his name in it. Immediately a small, white hand appeared, took 
the memorandum book from a number and wrote v* illiam B. in 
a very distinct and pretty hand. "There," exclaimed Mr. B. 
"There is a beautiful test. How he should know which book I 
had in mind I do not know, but I have no brother Wiiiiam, 
dead or alive!" 

Now here is a strange phenomenon, all right enough, but 
how are you going to explain it? 

Our Spiritualist friends would cry, "Oh, lying spirits, of 
course.'' But a better answer is, just as every King nas syco- 
phants ready to do anything the King asks. Just as the Lord 
says, "Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall 
at Ramoth-gilead ?" "And there came forth a spirit," who was 
ready to act the lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets." 
See 1 Kings, xxii: 19 to 23. Now Mr. B. did not have faith, 
though an honest gentleman, he called for a lie and a liar. He 
got it and he had enough soul atoms of his own under the ex- 
isting favorable conditions to perform just what he had called 
for. 

I have a friend — Prof. Hutchings — who is a hypnotist, with 
a vast amount of magnetic power. He is also a traveling sales- 
man. He had been working some time for a bicycle house, and 
got acquainted with Tom Cooper and several other champion 
bicycle riders in the summer of 1900. He was traveling through 
Ohio. He put up in a hotel at Lima, Ohio. He was much worn 
out and immediately fell asleep on retiring. How long he slept 
he did not know, but he was awakened by a number of shadowy 
forms around him, who seemed to be bending over him to wait 
on a sick man who lay in the bed behind him. After watching 
the forms for some time, he pinched himself and did other 
things to satisfy himself that he was awake and not enduring 
a case of nightmare. He then tried to distinguish the shadowy 
forms and he recognized his friend Cooper and one or two 
others. They all seemed to be expressing sympathy for the sick 
man whom he could not recognize. Knowing his friend Cooper 
was still living, knocked the ghost theory out of his mind. He 
then grasped at the shadows, and they dissolved and disap- 
peared. This was repeated several times before morning. 
Finally, in the morning, he says to the landlord, "If I stay here 
tonight and must sleep with someone, I had rather you would 
put a well person in bed with me than a sick one." 

"Why, what do you mean?" asked the landlord, and my 
friend related what had taken place. 

The landlord, in great surprise, exclaimed, "What room did 
you occupy?" The answer was given, when the landlord 
hastened to the register and exclaimed, "My God, that was the 
very room that bicyclist died in last summer!" 



37 

So the vision my friend saw had actually been enacted in 
that room the summer before. 

Now the spirit of the dead might have taken the place of 
the sick man, but who represented Tom Cooper and the cham- 
pions? If other spirits personified these gentlemen, for what 
purpose could it have been? On the other hand, while this thing 
was first enacted the interested parties threw off soul atoms 
which still lingered in the room, and when my friend with his 
strong magnetic force rested there, the individual soul atoms of 
his kingdom or organism, recognized their friends they had come 
in contact with, and hastened to relate the matters to their 
King. Not being able to get him to understand it they united 
with their friends, drawing assistance from the soul atoms of 
wall, carpet, bedding, furniture and all substance thereabout, 
making shadowy bodies visible to the condition of their king, 
and so re-enacting the things which had taken place there be- 
fore. But as soon as my friend exerted physical energy to reach 
out to grasp the forms, the exertion- recalled his soul atoms to 
duty, and of a necessity the forms dissolved, each atomic soul 
seeking its original positions. 

How long such organic bodies might maintain their organ- 
isms would depend upon the wisdom and strength of the organ- 
izing atom, and the condition under which the body was organ- 
ized. 

We read of the angels appearing to Abraham as men and 
of taking dinner with him, but they had to hasten, they could 
not remain long. 

There is no other such a reasonable and logical manner of 
explaining these things and every perplexing phenomenon and 
mystical problem may be easily solved through the Atomic Soul 
Theory. Besides what a mighty power it places in the hands 
of man who learns to concentrate, attract and organize the de- 
sired unseen forces of nature, and what an argument in favor 
of the necessity of keeping the thoughts pure to avoid building 
into your spiritual kingdom that which you will be ashamed of 
when you get on the spirit side of life, for, of course, the Hell 
doctrine as has been taught is ridiculous, and as one reformed 
preacher puts it, "There is more danger from the men who 
preach hell than from that hell they preach of." 



THE ATOMIC SOUL THEORY. 

I have pretty clearly demonstrated that all is mind, and 
that what we call matter is but mind on a lower plane than our 
own. I not only, philosophically and logically, proved it, but I 
quoted the opinions of such talented and worthy authority as 
Newton, Fara.dy and others. But what does your average man 
care for the opinions of thinkers and philosophers? Has he not 
got a body made up of matter? C:\n he not feel it and sense the 
fact that matter really exists? 



38 

Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Let us see how much we really know. 

Who can swear he is not dreaming this very moment while 
he seems to be reading this article? 

Last night you had a dream; you saw new faces, new places, 
you walked, you rode, you flew, if necessary. The space you 
looked into was as real as any space. The food you ate tasted 
natural. The people of your dream were real people. The hurt 
you received was real. The substance you handled was real as 
any substance you ever handled. But you say, "I know I was 
dreaming because I awoke. O pshaw, you would not have 
believed you were dreaming then, and how can you tell but you 
may wake out of this life, and laugh at the absurdities of this 
life. Then how can you swear you are not dreaming now? Or 
are, perhaps, in some insane asylum? 

Shakespeare says, "Of such stuff as dreams men are made." 
Well! then may we believe the dream is a condition of mind. 

If the dream is a condition of mind, and no one will deny it, 
what is the hypnotic state but a condition of mind? 

I will take two hypnotic subjects, and one I will place in the 
torrid zone of Africa enjoying the tropical fruit, while perspiring 
at every pore, throwing off his outer garments, because it is so 
warm, and this in a comfortable room. The other \ will put on 
mountains of ice, in a frigid zone. He will shiver and put on the 
garments the other threw off, and his hand will become too cold 
to hold in yours with comfort. Now, the audience I will make 
appear to one, a burning forest, to the other mountains of ice. 
Here are three worlds in touch with each other. Neither one 
of the three can see the world of the other two, then who can 
say there may not be a world, as tangible as our world, in a 
piece of coal or any other substance. 

But you say, "it is only in the imagination of the hypnotic 
subjects." O no, my friend, it is so real to them that I can run 
down the pulsations of the heart until T kill my subject with 
thought. Then what a mighty power is in a thought. 

If I remove my subject outside of your condition of mind you 
go bury the body, a thought which may linger with you for a long 
time. But what has become of my subject? He has entered 
another world, even beyond my control. Surely hypnotism is a 
condition of mind, as well as a dream is a condition of mind. 

Christ said, "The kingdom of God is within you." 

What, no place for the kingdom of God? But the kingdom 
of God is a condition of mind. 

O, my friends, if the kingdom of God is but a condition of 
mind, then life itself must be a condition of mind for the great 
eternal God would not make his kingdom less tangible than this 
life. 

If the above is true, and all reason shows us it must be true, 
what wonders may we not perform by learning to control the 
conditions of our minds. May we not bring our heaven right 
here? 



39 

We are placed here to develop character, and all the good 
things of the Universe are ours as soon as we learn our powers 
and how to evolve out of mind the heaven we are seeking in a 
distant somewhere. Why then should we insist on being tied 
down to vulgarmatter. Why not soar up with the Gods, and be 
free? Free from what! Free from fear, free from pain, free 
from want, free from all that is disageeable and disgusting. 

"Oh! But this is matter I know too well, and this is real 
pain and real sorrow." You cry. 

O, yes, I know just how hard it is to let go. 
You put me in mind of the boy that thought he would have 
a sleigh ride, and he got on his sleigh and took hold of the old 
bull's tail. The bull got frightened and ran around and round 
the barnyard, dragging the poor foolish boy under the straw 
stack, through the manure pile and over the fence to the door 
yard, and the poor foolish boy crying at the top of his voice for 
help. His father was shouting to him to let go, but he hung 
the tighter until exhausted he was compelled to let go of the 
bull's tail. The father, provoked, cried: "You foolish boy, why 
didn't you let go?" But the boy said, "Father, I couldn't; it was 
all I could do to hang hold." 

Now, my friends, it is all you can do to "hang hold" of this 
old idea of matter and its rottenness and the diabolical theory of 
a future hell and a future heaven, when hell is here; ignorance, 
ignorance brings hell. Heaven is within your reach. Let go of 
hell and reach out for heaven. You always lived, you have sim- 
ply lost heaven for a little time; you are like the Indian wander- 
ing in the woods who asked the white man where his wigwam 
was. The white man asked, "What, Indian lost?" "No," re- 
plied the Indian. "Indian here, wigwam lost." "There is your 
wigwam," says the white man. "Ugh," grunted the Indian. 
"Been right around here all the time." So is truth, heaven right 
around here all the time. 

Though Herbert Spencer calls God "the great unknowable," 
he admits we are forever in his presence. 

That my ideas and investigations will be ridiculed and poo- 
pooed is certain, if even given any attention by the very wise 
ones, for like Tyndall, Alcott, Herbert Spencer, and our own 
Edison, I lack the opportunities of a college education, but not 
of vast experience; but when we stop to think it was not until 
the 14th century that anatomy began to be placed upon a purely 
human basis, by dissection of dead bodies, and that the heart is 
a mechanical organ instead of a brain cell of emotion, and that 
the clearing up of this matter by Harvey, who opened the 
chest of a deer and that of a frog and watched the heart throbs, 
and found those organs actually pumping blood, even then he 
was scoffed at and ridiculed by the wise and condemned as a 
sacreligious devil by the superstitious. 

We know that every step of advancement must be fought 
over the heads of over-wise people and superstitious objectors. 



40 

Today there are two classes of scientists disputing as to which, 
the Sun or Moon, has the greatest pull on our earth, while both 
admit the Moon will cause the rising of the mighty tides, and 
that these tides vary with the varying position of the Moon. 
Both parties will geer at the Astrologer when he claims the 
Moon's pull will affect the growth of a hil of potatoes if placed 
in the ground the right time, notwithstanding the potatoes are 
90 per cent water. 

It is true some men do not like to have the light turned on, 
as the following extract will show: 

THE ERA OF LIGHT. 

Not 200 years ago Broadway, New York, after nightfall, was 
almost pitch dark and infested with rogues and thieves. It was 
not safe to travel it by night without armed guards and boys 
carrying torches. Today this great thoroughfare is famous as 
the "Great White Way," because of the brilliance of its night 
illumination. 

Less than a hundred years ago street lighting was opposed 
by the very best men of that day on theological grounds as 
being a presumptuous thwarting of the intentions of Providence, 
which had appointed darkness for the hours of night. It was 
opposed on medical grounds, as gas and oil were declared un- 
wholesome, and they argued that it was a bad thing to encour- 
age people to stay outdoors nights and catch colds, pneumonia 
and fevers. On moral, philosophic grounds it was held that the 
people's moral standard would be lowered by street lighting, as 
the drunkard would feel there was no hurry to get home and 
late sweethearting would be encouraged, whereas black night 
sent people home early, thus preserving them from a multitude 
of sins. They also argued that lights would make thieves alert 
and that national illuminations would lose their effect if there 
were street lighting every night. 

Seventy-five years ago streets were being lighted with oil 
and gas. Twenty five years ago the electric lights were intro- 
duced and the systematic lighting of streets began; now there 
is scarcely a hamlet so small it cannot boast of lighted streets. 
And the men who are studying the subject say that the dawn of 
artificial light is just breaking. — From an article in Review of 
Reviews. 

These experiences are not mere Fairy tales but 
real experiences, and this article is scientific as 
well as Biblical evidence that mind and matter 
are one, for if 'The Kingdom of God is within 
you." It is a condition of mind. Again, Christ tells 
us, Mark- X. 24. 'Therefore I say unto you, what 
things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe 
that ye receive them and ye shall have them." 



41 
Thus I answer the question WHERE DID WE 
COME FROM? If, as before stated, "There is no 
room fer anything else but God, there must be 
something for such a great intelligence to do: the- 
re being nothing but Him self, there is nothing 
He could do but think out plans. This plan neces- 
sitates contrasts so that even He could not know 
the difference between bitter and sweet, or pain 
and pleasure if He never thot of the opposites; we 
being a part of him are his thinking facculties' 
consequentaly must feel these expressions, as we 
pass thru the various phases of his thots. We have 
but little free moral agency,: what we have is, 
chiefly, in our willingness to cheerfully endure, 
while making strenuous efforts to reach a higher 
plain : and the reaching that higher plain is our re- 
ward, and the willing, and intentional, hindrenc of 
such progress a great sin; and the expression of 
selfishness, and cruelty, beyond necessity, draws a 
punishment in kind. Thus the Bible passage- "An 
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," becomes 
rational. We came from God, we existed in the 
God head in the eternity of the past. We plunged 
from the parapets of heaven, down to the cbacs 
of forgetfullness, that we might come up thru 
a new plan, learning and perfecting our selves 
under the laws of evolution and reincarnation. 

To get a better understanding of this great sub- 
ject, you should read Stowe's Bible Astrology,. 

and Periodicity. Send for discriptive matter. 
WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR? 
It is evident we are here for experience ; each 
one a little unit, yet composed of untold millions 
of other units, and in turn a part of a succession 
of greater units, until centering in the grea.t, 
•end only God of the unievrse. 



42 

If as before stated "There is no room for any 
thing else but God. Such a great intelligence must 
have something to do, there being nothing but him- 
self, even He could not know the difference betw- 
een pain and pleasure or bitter and sweet if He ne- 
ver thot of the opposites. He must for ever be thin- 
king (ie) laying plans and we being a part ot L Him, 
are experiencing these things as we pass thru 
the various stages of ' is plan, from life to life, in- 
creasing in knowledge and power as we advance 
thru evolution and reincarnation, which are essen- 
tial to a reasonable plan of so great a mind. This 
is manifest in our own natures, tho we kick against 
strife and villainy, we do not care to see a play or 
read a book unless it has suffering and villainy to 
over come. Not only this but we are forever 
getting up games of strife to get the best of each 
other, as we say "To kill time." If "Man is made 
in the likeness and image of his creator," his 
nature too should be taken into consideration. 

Let me draw a picture. Suppose, if you please, 
a number of us, all friends, possess the most 
beautiful homes that thot can conceive of or heart 
wish for, palaces, grounds, fruits, flowers, books, 
games, music, birds, every thing beautiful. Would 
we not soon tire of it? That which has been our 
heaven has become our hell;w r e look out. a cross 
the street, we wonder what are they doing? 
You ^ry "Come, let us cross the street and see 
what they are doing? but I say "Look, lock 
at the storm, the slush, the hell between here and 
there." You answer back, "It is no worse than this 
hell here." What this, which was once our heaven, 
now a hell?" ''This is no longer heaven. "You 
cry, and we plung out in the storm, to get on the 
other side, to enjoy more because we know 7 more. 



43 

Thus it is experience we are here for. Think of it, 
we old soldiers who knew w 7 e must suffer, if we 
went to war, yet we went to war and we did suffer 
and we suffer still, but where will you find one of 
us who would sell his experience for gold ? 

Some years ago, Lee Hamilton, a poet, who for 
twenty years lay streached upon a sick bed, found 
solace in writing this beautiful sonnet, so illustra- 
tive of discontent, and of schooled patience. 

A PROPHET OF THE SOUL. 

Once from the parapets of gems and glow 
An angle said "0, God, the heart grows cold; 
On these eternal battlements of gold 
Where all is pure, but cold as virgin snow. 

"Here sobs are never herd: no salt tears flow; 
Here there are none to help; nor sick; nor old; 
Nor wrong lo fight, nor justice to uphold; 
Grant me thy leave to live man's life below." 

"And then annihilation ?" God replied. 
"Yes," said the angle, "Even that dred price.. 
For earthly tears are worth eternal night." 
"Then, go," said God. The angle opened wide 
His dazzeling wings, gazed back on heaven thrice, 
And plunged, foraver from the walls of light. 

Is this not illustrative of discontent/ and a 
desire for change, for new experiences, for periods 
of labor and of rest? This is a good explanation 
of the necessity of pain and sorrow. 

When, next you wonder why you are here, write 
in gigantic letters of fire "I came here of my own 
free will, to gain experience and to escape the 
monotony of a heaven that had become my hell, 
So glad to escape that I left memory behind." 



44 
This world is one department in God's work shop, 
the spirit state His bed room. The night is for a 
rest after the worry and toil of the day. The winter 
is a period of rest after the exausting experiences 
of summer, and even in the tropical clime, where 
man forces the soil to respond to his demand, the 
treas lay off their summer garb and rest. God says 
after He has subdued all things to himself He will 
rest. He did His work in six days and rested on 
the seventh. The spirit state is a rest between re- 
incarnated lives. Our spiritulist friends make a 
great mistake in supposing there is progression on 
the spirit side of life. What is mistaken for progress 
is that natural unrolement of the developing life, 
Just as a growing child takes the food into the 
body during the day. and while the child sleeps 
the food is being assimilated and carried out to 
those parts of the body that are calling the lowd- 
est for it: and the child awakes a stronger better 
developed being for having slept. But. He can- 
not expand more until he exercises and creates an 
appetite, and takes on more food, from which to 
build a greater statue. It is so with the spirit, it 
will unrole that which it has gained here, but it can- 
not unroll more untill it has come back to another 
earth life for more experince, on whichto build. 

The soul of man can tiever be old-or young ; but 
as Paul puts it, "We have a spiritual body and we 
have a material body." man builds up his material 
body thru a process of physical digestion, and he 
builds up his spiritual body thru a mental process : 
thus our material body is the result of what our 
physical exersise, and food, has been: so must the. 
spirit body be the result of the mental forces attra- 
cted to us thru the thots we have held while in an 
earth life. If he leaves this life in childhood, it will 



45 
be some time before he understands the changed 
conditions, and when he does he is likely to mix 
the memories of a former lifewith the last one, 
and this may be taken for progress, as in this case 
he seems to have expanded in statue. This appar- 
ent development is spoken of as a growth where 
as it is merely the unrolercent of what has been 
developed during earth life. 

Some spirits are so interested in some things in 
earth life that they cannot be led from their folly, 
to their own better nature until assisted by some 
one in earth life, and this is mistaken for spiritual 
growth, where as it is merely unrollment. 

The earth life is God's work shop, the spirit 
state his bedroom ; otherwise it would have been no 
use of our coming here in the first place. Would it 
be wise to take your work bench to bed with you? 
How shall man best improve his time on earth? 
I think I have shown pretty clearly that thots 
are things, that we eat thot, we drink thot and we 
breath thot, and we are building thot into our 
physical as well as our spiritual bodies. 

To labor in thot is to burn, to consume the thot 
atoms in the physical structure while attracting 
other thot atoms to the spiritual kingdom, an 
other reason why there is no progress in the 
spirit state is it would consume the spirit body. 
We know if we become tired and hungry, we 
must rebuild the physical forces, or the brain gives 
out, the man becomes worthless and dies. Shall we 
go on consuming the spirit body in that world, or 
shall we rest in contemplation of our past experie- 
nces until, our own consciousness of the mistakes of 
a former life force us to come back to earth, to 
Gods work shop, to rebuild? Is this not more 
reasonable than the hell doctrin? 



4(5 
WHERE ARE WE GOING TO? 

This question involves all that has ever been 
said on the subject. First to the Atheist, you admit 
we are here, and must have got here by one of two 
processes. We were either created by an intelligent 
designer or else we came thru evolution, and if by 
the latter process, it is reasonable to suppose the 
same law that evolved us, makeing it possible for 
us to control the lower forms of life, might just 
as well evolve a god who controls our lives, if so 
He has had eternity of the past in which to deve- 
lope a perfect, merciful and alwise being. Simply 
because w T e do not understand God's plans is no 
more evidence that He does not exist than it would 
be that a farmer does not exist because some of 
his stock never saw him and know nothing of him. 
Again, it is unreasonable to suppose that, nature 
which is so careful that nothing, in the material 
world, shall be lost, will let our experience be lost. 
We look about us and we see a complicated piece 
of machinery, or any other great work of man, and 
we say, that is the result of much study, and years 
of labor, and is a product of evolution, then can 
you believe that man was always as you see him? 
Is he not the result of many lives of experience? 
Should not every pang of pain have its recom- 
pence in joy? If so should not the lower animals 
be recompensed for their suffering? Can you 
believe that "God is love," and then believe 
He will build a place of everlasting torment? A 
punishment out of all proportion to any crime man 
could commit. Even our rich men who are caught 
defrauding the public out of millions of dollars, 
causing suffering suicide and crime, among the 
lower classes and the clergy hardly mention it while 



47 
wageing bitter war against the slums, the selfishness 
of the, dishonest portion, of the rich has created, 
and the law can find no punishment greater than 
(she giving up of a small portion of their plunder, 
or their fines for law breaking. Is God less forgiveing 
than man? Or are the cleirgy hypocrital in assailing 
the wickedness of the lower class while ignoring 
the greater cause, or the greater crimes of the rich ? 

Let me quote a few verses from the 5 th chapter 
of Matthew, V. 40. "And if any man will sue the at thee law, 
and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 

v: 41 and whosoever shall compel the to go a mile, go with 
him twain. 

v : 42 Give to him that asketh the, and from him that borrow 
of thee turn not thcu away. 

v. 48, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love 
thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 

v. 44 But 1 say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that 
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them 
which desptefully use you, and persecute you: 

v: 45th That ye may be the children of your Father in 
heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the 
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

v: 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward 
have ye? do not even the publicans do the same? 

Now compare the above quotation with the fol- 
lowing news paper clipping, and then wonder, if 
you can, why the people have lost faith in church. 

CHURCHES SQUABBLE OVER A $ 1 , 000,000 

"PITTSBURG, Pa., Oct. 7. — A demand for $1,000,003 
will be made by the Pittsburg synod of the Reformed church 
the First German Evangelist Protestant church of this city. 
In 1788 the Penn heirs granted to the two congregations a 
piece of ground in what is now the center of Pittsburg. For years 
the congreagtions held union services and only one building 
was erected, When the civil war broke out many members of 
the German Reformed ohurch enlisted and soon ^the German 
Evangelical ProtesantB controlled the property. They have 
been in control ever pince. The property is worth $2,000,000." 



48 
The object of quoting that on the preceding 
page is to show the churn practicing one thing and 
the bible teach quite another thing. After reading 
of the great riches of the churches, described in 
Stowe's Bible Astrology, and the still greater crime 
spoken of in his great book "What is Coming." we 
need not wonder at the un Christ like savagery of 
their hell doctrine. Without dwelling upon the avv- 
fullness of such a punishment, let us ask them, in 
all kindness, why are they trying to raise one bill- 
ion tw T o hundred and fifty million of dollars, to 
convert the world, for what? That my question 
may be better understood I will quote from a magi- 
zine artical on the estimated population of hell. 

POPULATION OF HELL. 



A Genius Figures It Out to Be 175,000,000,000. 

Certainly an endeavor to arrive at a correct idea of the popu- 
lation of hell, assuming the orthodox idea of it to be sound, has 
at least the element of novelty to recommend it. A recent writer 
has computed that in round numbers the earth has a population 
of 1,300,000,000, of which 300,000,000 are professed Christians, the 
other 1,000,000,000 being Mohammedans, Buddhists, Jews, pagan, 
and heathen. The whole race was condemned to eternal punish- 
ment for the sin of Adam. This was the fall of man, from which 
there was and is no redemption save through the death of Christ. 

Biblical chronology gives the earth a period of about 6,000 
years. From Adam's time to Christ was 4,000 years, during 
which period no human souls were saved. The population then 
may have averaged 1,000,000,000. Three generations, or 3,000,- 
000,000, pass away in each century. Forty centuries, therefore, 
consigned 120,000,000,000 of men to eternal fire, and, for all that 
is known, they are there now. In the 1,900 years which have 
elapsed since the birth of Christ, 57,000,000.000 more of human 
beings have lived and died. If all the Christians, nominal and 
real, who have ever lived on the face of the earth have been 
saved they would not number more than 18,000,000,000. Now, if 
is deducted the latter number from the grand total of 177,000,000,- 
000, there is found 159,000,000,000 souls who are suffering the tor- 
ments of hell-fire, against the 18,000,000,000 who have escaped. 
But this is not the whole truth. Nobody believes that more than 
10 per cent of the professed Christians are saved. Calvinists 
themselves say the elect are few. If that is. a fact heaven con- 
tains but 1,800,000,000, against a population in hell of 175,000,- 
000,000. 



49 
Of course the foregoing estimate is . a fanciful 
idea, but to my mind no more so than that of 
converting the world, considering the following. 



/llowing 74,000,000 ot people who make no prof ession and 



84,000,000 of the Greek church, they wonld be devided up in 



teritory, by comparison, about as given between these rules, 
116,000,000 Protestants, 



Jaws and Mohammedans 170,000,000 



Roman Catholiccs 190,000,000 millions. 



Of heathen 856, 000,000, Or 10 times as many as 
either Greek or of the non t religious. There is 7 times as many 
heathen as of Protestants, and over 5 times as many heathen 
as Mohammedans. There is nearly 5 times as many heathen 
as of Roman Catholics, and a third more heathen than of all 
others put together. This is taken from a religious paper, 
urging the necessity of more strenuous missionary work: 
and if they can show a great benefit in it, far be it from me 
to want to oppose it. But, what I want to ask is this: it is 
not long since each creed taught that every other creed was 
a thing to be opposed if not put down by force of arms, and 
but very few could be saved, so tell me please, if God is more 
loving and forgiving than it is possible for man to be 
WILL GOD PUNISH THE HEATHEN OR CAUSE THEM 
TO SUFFER, ETERNALLY, FOR WHAT THEY DONT 
KNOW" ? If so is not man an improvement on such a god ? 
If not is it not unwise to convert them, seeing a majority of 
them mu t suffer eternal torments if you do? Please don't 
get angry, this is not asked for idle pass time but that I may 
know the truth. In the religous columns of the Sunday paper, 
Dec, 5th 1909, the following may be found. Under different 
headings. First an account of an enthusiastic Laymans 
meeting to rais that big pile of money to convert the world 



50 

This seems like a grand idea, but when we lookback over the 
pages of history and note the terrible wars, murder, misery 
and torcher, by rack, fagot and by every means the inginuity 
of an infernal mind could concive of, and that in the name of 
religion, it makes one shudder, especially when he reads that 
the same thing is going on to-day. The second is an extract 
from an artical in that same paper, under the caption of 
"HOLY" WAR. " The hardest problem the Young Turk* 
have to solve is to secure peace and order between the factions 
repressenting Christian sects and the Moslems. Whether the 
new Turkish government be sound and sincere in its purpose 
or no it is too soon to say conclusively. But no one can read 
Mr. Creelman's serious and detailed account without feeling 
that the difficulties are not all on the side of the Moslems. 
Where religion becomes a matter of bitter partisnanship and 
race animosity, there is nothing that can surpass the cruelty 
of the passions aroused. And we may be lenient in our judg- 
ment of the Moslems when we know th *t it 5s their bayo- 
nets that keep the Latin?, the Greeks, and the Armenians 
who call themselves Christians, from cutting each other,s 
throats about the tomb of the 'Prince of Peace," 

The black face type are mine. But, it makes one think when 
we see so much, aperient solicitude for the conversion of the 
world that there may be some other motive behind it, at least 
on can't help quoting Matthew XX11I v. 13-14 and 15. 

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye 
shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go 
in yourselfes. neither suffer them that are entering to go in. 

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye 
devour widows' houses, aud for a pretence make lcng prayer: 
therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 
Woe unto you, scribes and, Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye com- 
pass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made 
ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves/' 
I do not wish to impugn the motives of the zelots. But, when 
I see so much effort made to convert heathen and to suppress 
Spiritualism, clairvoaynts, astrologers and others for trying to 
foresee the future: where as all business would stop if attempts 
to look into the future ceased. It is like makeiug w r ar on the 
petty gamboler aud letting the big fellow go free, or like 
makeing war on the slums and saying nothing a^out a social 
atmosphere wreeking with rottenness in high places. It is like 
trying to purefy a filth layden stream at the mouth. 
Pardon the digression, and we will proceed. 



51 

Many of our orthodox triends say they do not 
tea^h the former hell doctrine. Well if they admit 
of former mistakes, may we not ask are they not 
mistaken much farther in their teachings? 

Where are we going to ? At death we go in-to 
a spirit state, where we rest untill anxious to 
correct the mistakes of a former life we come back, 
under the proper signs of the zodiac and under 
proper planetary influence to produce the desired 
effect; jiot for the purpose of punishment, in that 
sense, but because a new experience is necessary 
to our more complete development. To sum it up 

THE ASTROLOGERS RELIGION is a belief 
in one God, one unevirsal intelligent whole who 
permits no interference with his plans. If there 
is no room for any thing but God, one great etern- 
al intelligence, man is as much a part of that God 
as his finger is a part of himself. That, so called, 
matter is mind on a lower plain than that acting 
upon it. That experience is a necessity to man's 
happiness. That evolution and reincarnation are 
necessities to and parts of a devine plan : evolution, 
because it, and it alone furnishes evidence of aspe- 
rations and upward tendencies, from the vine that 
clings to the oak and crawls upward, to the giant 
intellect that sees only by a Godly plan can man 
hope to get nearer to the Godhead in the great plan. 

Reincarnation is shown to be a corollary, and a 
necessity to the plan, by the fact that experience 
would be worthless without it. That nature w T ho is 
so careful that nothing in the material world sha.l 
be lost will not let experience, the most sacred of 
all things be lost. 

It may be asked. Why have we no memories 
of our former lives? 
h . There are two ways of answering that.- 



52 

First, there are many things we are only to glad 
to forget, hence memory is blotted out, except 
in such things as are necessary to our farther de- 
velopment, and this we cnll * 'hereditary. " 

Tell me who taught the tendrils of the vine to 
find a foothold in, almost, inaccessible places? 
I answer- experience in former lives. 
Who taught the chicken to break its way out of 
the shell, or to run to the mother when he hears 
the hawk, he has never heard before, in tl}is life? 
I answer, experience in former lives. 
Who taught the musical prodigy to know music, 
or the mathematical prodigy to know mathe- 
matics, before taking a lesson? 

I answer, experience in former lives. 
Who gave one man more brain convolutions and 
greater brain power than another? 
I answer, experience in former lives. 
It is plain, progress is God's plan and man is 
seeking greater happiness thru it: woe to that 
man or that institution that stands in the way of 
God's progress. But how is man to increase his 
soul power? I answer, by rebuilding his spiritual 
body, thru higher and better thots; just as the 
pugilist seeks to make a more perfect, physical 
man, thru physical exercise, and careful diet. 

The pugilist would never think of using pastry 
and other palatable food, which has no fiber build- 
ing strength, when training: such food must really 
tear him down instead of building him up. To build 
a perfect physical man, he eats the strongest fiber 
building food, and vigorously exercises the muscles 
he knows wall come most in use. It is the same with 
the building up of the spiritual body. You come 
back to earth for spiritual training under astro- 
logical conditions that will produce , the desired 



53 

improvement in the spirtual structure, and this is 
done by attracting the proper soul atoms to you. 

In my Universe, published in 18U8, I call atten- 
tion to the cause of dreams and to the fact that 
thots are things and have been photographed, and 
more recent discoveries have gone so far as to ana- 
lyze the breath and the respration contained a 
volatile poison characteristic of the emotion. 
A prayer has been photographed while ascending, 
and the thots of sadness and despar appear like an 
etherial whirlwind. The camera cannot be decieved 
but shows just what is placed in Iront of it and 
if thots are registering such wonderful effects we 
should be very careful of what thots we let in, or 
at least what thots we make it harmonious to 
remain with us. You cannot create a thot: you can 
only let them in or keep them out. You have had 
thots come to you, you did not want, you had to 
fight them away, and you must labor to commit 
to memory, to build into your structure those thots 
you do want. Birds of a feather flock together, so 
when you make it harmonious for good thots, they 
flock, to you and you build into your kingdom that 
kind of thot that will give you a longer peace and 
happiness, while resting in the spirit state, and a 
higher form of being at your next reincarnation. 

Whatever you attract to the spirit body becom- 
es your carma for the next life, selfishness, strife, 
wronging another, will bring the same thing back 
to you in your next incarnated life, and that is 
what the writer, in the old testiment ment by, 
"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." And 

again, S. John IX 1st and 2nd "And as Jesus passed, he saw 
a man which was blind from his birth. 2nd v. And his discip- 
les asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his 
parents, that he was born blind?" How could his sin cause him 



54 

to be born blind, unless he had lived before? It should be 

remembered that when the world was ready for faith, Christ 

came with a new commandment, "Love ye one another." 

Christ said he did not come to change one jot or title of the 

old law. He came to give those who really repented of their 

sins , thru faith in him, a chance to avoid the second death. 

(This will be better understood afer reading Bible Astrology.) 

Galatiaits III 23 But bef or faith came, we were kept under the 

law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 

34th v. Wherefore the law wai our schoolmaster to bring us 

unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." 

Yet we are told "Faith without works is dead." 

That these many lives are so many school days, and that 

man is given an oportnnety to graduate, when ready for it, is 

clearly shown in Mark, IV.- 10 li 12 and 13th, which reads, 

"And when he was alone, they that were about him with 

the twelve asked of him the parable. 

And he said unto them. Unto you it is given to know the 
mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, 
all these things are done in parables. 

12 v. That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hear- 
ing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they 
hould be converted, and their sins 'should be forgiven them." 
At another time he exclaimed, "Poor souls their time is not 
yet." As much as to say, it is not time for them to graduate. 

Let any one hunt up the whole story of John, the Baptist 
and he will find that John was Elijah reincarnated Malachi I V 
and 5th Behold I will send you, Elijah, the prophet before the 
coming of the great day of the Lord." II Kings 2nd to 12th, 
tells us Elijah ascended iu a whirlwind of fire which was 880 
years before Christ. Luke 1st you will see the same angel who 
made arrangements for Christ's coming made arrangiments 
with Zacharias and Elizabeth for an earthly father and mother 
for John. Now note Matthew XVII. 10 to 14th. "And his 
disciples asked him saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias 
must first come? (Elias is the Greek rendering for Elijah.) 
> 11th And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly 
shall first come, and restore all things. 

12 v. But 1 say unto you. That Elias is come already, and 

they knew him not, but have done with him whatsoever they 

listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man sufferof them. 

[Remember, they took John's head off.] 

13th Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them 

of John the Baptist." [That shows John and Elijah were one.J 



55 

The matter on the foregoing page shows clearly 
that Christ wished the disciples to understand you 
can't teach a dog Euclid or a cat grammar, yet it 
is no fault of those noble animals and their time 
will yet come, for our many incarnated lives are so 
many school terms. Evolution is a truth. Spirit- 
ualism is a truth. Reincarnation is a truth, a man 
who can find no recompense for the sufferings of 
the lower animals, but can accuse an all wise and 
loving God with providing an endless torment to 
punish poor weak man for the mistakes of a mom- 
ent, is better fitted to deal with savages than with 
intellectual people. This does not mean the careless 
and the viscious will escape responsibility ; right 
the contrary you will be served measure for mea- 
sure. An examination day is close at hand, those 
who are fit to go to a higher sphere will graduate, 
those who are not must suffer a second death, in 
1000 years' and those who do not then graduate 
must return thru another series of life and death 
for another 26,000 years. ( See Stowe's Bible Astrology.) 

Who will judge you? Each will judge him self. 

What shall a man do to be saved, (ie) graduate? 

Look inward at your self and understand that 
thots are things being built into your spiritual 
body, keep your thots pure, "Do unto others as you 
would have others do unto you." And then faith 
in God or in Christ will have some meaning. Greed, 
pride, selfishness, lust must be conquered, he who 
does not conquer this must go down again before 
he can understand how to take an enjoyable posit- 
ion in the God-head, and understand the truth- 
That when the plan of God was laid 
And all that is, from God was made, 
He destined when his work is done 
Truth shall be known, that all is one. 



THE CIRCLE WITH 

is the symbole of the 
earth and the cross is 
the symbol of the 
Christian religion and 
has been the symbol of 
: ome religion sinc e 
time immemorial. 

We often hear 
christians say they are 
beairng the cross for 
Christ's sake. 



T3K CROSS INSIDE 




THE STORY OF THE ZODIAC. 
THE TWELVE SIGNS OFfHE ZODIAC 









3 ° 

e c ^ 

Cu * > 

K CD ^ 

? a. 




ASTROLOGICAL SYMBOLS. 
LYMAN E. STOWE is a descendant of JOHN STOW, 
of Ed gland, the antiquarian who flurished in lbth century and 
it is as natural for Lyman to deive into forgotten loar as it 
ever was for his illustrations ancester hence his Universe, his 
Bible Astrology and his Astrological Periodicity are far in 
advance of the age for 
plain, simple and intense 
ely interesting matter, 
along the lines of ancient 
and modern Astrological 
science, and tsi conection 
with the religeon and 
morals of man and 
with the fortunes of all 
organic bodies. 
He gives strong reasons 
why we must return to 
astrology for a proper 
understanding of first 
principles. 

The sun is the life giver, and the circle with 

THE DOT HAS BEEN THE SYMBOL OF THE SUN SINCE 
TIME UNKNOWN. The serpent with his tale in his mouth is 
the Hindoo's Religious Symbol of eternal life. Sun worship 
|s one of the oldest formes of religious worship. (See 
••Bible Astrology," price $1.50. 

The crescent has been the sy- 
i 11i& mbol of the moon for all time. 

^■JjL^ \fl8s ^ c ^ tar ari ^ Crescent is the symbol of 
/^ H88 tne Mohammedan rilegion aj;d stands for 

^ spirit. Thus the circle O continues, eternal 
life. The half circle d Spirit, between in- 
carnated lives 'The © circle with the cross 
inside 6tands for reincarnated life, for the sake of experience. 
What could God or man know without experience? The cross 
the symbole of the Christian Religion is often refured to as a 
burthen, a heavy load, See story of Sun God and Son of God. 





OUR PUBLICATIONS. 




BIBLE ASTROLOGY. 

The marvel of the ages; makes those passages c#i the Bible plain 
and clear which the most gifted thologians have stumbled over. Tells 
the Free Mason more about his order than he knows of, and why it 
and the church were antagonistic. No student of the Bible or of 
astrology, or of Free Masonry, can afford to be without this work. 
Written by Lyman E Stowe. Illustrated; bound in leatherette. Price, 
mailed free, $1.50 

ASTROLOGICAL PERIODICITY 

Is the most practical work on astrology for the casual reader ever 
published. It contains too many features to mention here, but its 
chief purpose is to make plain the good and evil periods of a person's 
life, that the physician may study the case of his patient to better 
advantage, the judge to understand the criminal, the detective to read 
nature, and the business man to judge his good and evil periods 
that he may not be one of the 88 per cent who fail. A book of nearly 
400 pages, with revolving charts, $5.00. Written by Lyman E. Stowe. 
THE SOLAR BIOSCOPE 

Is a chart on heavy board, 9x14 inches, with a revolving chart, and 
a book' of instructions for getting the ascending sign and thereby 
the hour of birth, where the hour is not known; also how to write 
a horoscope by the effects of the signs of the Zodiac without the 
tedious work of figuring out the planetary aspects. Also showing 
where to look for marks and moles caused by the rising sign. There 
are 100 assorted blanks with book; when filled out should be worth 
$1.00 each, or $100, and each one a better horoscope than is generally 
given for a dollar. This is actual value and a benefit to every person 
who owns the work. Old Astronomers will find this work a tremen- 
dous help. By Lyman E. Stowe. Price, with blanks, $5.00; without 
blanks, $4.00. 

THE GREAT ASTROKABALA, OR WORLD'S WONDER. 

Intuitive astrology; only a few left and we have no plates. Those 
seeking literary curiosities should apply quickly. Written by Lyman 
E. Stowe. Mailed free for $1.00. 



OUR PUBLICATIONS Page 2 

RIGHT HOURS TO SUCCESS. 

Getting the right hours for success for every kind of business, 
which also includes the right sign of the zodiac, with revolving disks, 
which makes it handy. The best hour book published. Written by 
Lyman E. Stowe. Price $1.00. ' 

SECRETS OF PALMISTRY. 

Vest pocket edition; a great aid to getting hour of birth. Con- 
tains matter heretofore secret with the palmist. By Lyman E. Stowe. 
Price 50c. 

STOWE'S HANDY KEY TO ASTROLOGY. 

The influence of planets in signs and houses always before you. 
Very handy. Price 25c. 

STOWE'S ASTROLOGICAL FORTUNE TELLING CARDS. 

A pack of 56 cards, also explanations how to use them and how 
to read in a tea cup and why it is possible to read the future with 
cards or tea cup. Price $1.00 per pack. Send for descriptive circular 
and testimonials. These cards are a great curiosity. 

STOWE'S PRIVATE LESSONS IN THE ATOMIC 

Soul Theory and Concentration of Power, and Private Lessons in 
Hypnotism, together with Private Correspondence in the same. 
Price $5.00. 

WHAT IS COMING. 

This is a work on finance that should be read by every person 
who is interested in the welfare of the human race. A history of 
the money question from Solomon to the present, and the Bible 
commands concerning it, together with two large illustrations in ex- 
planation of the meaning of the GREAT RED DRAGON. The 
Mother of Harlots and her daughters and what comes of them. The 
Beasts or Daniel's Vision now about to be fulfilled, the setting up 
of the abomination that maketh desolate, and other things spoken of 
in the book, written in 1895 and now taking place. Mailed free. 
Paper, $1.00; cloth, $1.50; revised edition. 

POETICAL DRIFTS OF THOUGHT. 

Octavo 300 pages in prose and verse. Illustrated. Bound in 
green and gold. By Lyman E. Stowe. A beautiful book for the 
table. Price $2.50 A book of wonders, but few left. 

This book published over thirty years ago, contains 
a prophicy of the great war of 1914. showing a cut of 
the aroplain dropping shells a score of years before 
any ony one began to build heavyer than air machens. 



OUR PUBLICATIONS, Page 3 

MY WIFE NELLIE AND I. 

A little gem in prose and verse. Illustrated. By Lyman E. 
Stowe. This little book is just the thing for a few hours' pastime. 
Paper, 50c; board, 75c. 

MARRIAGE AND'THE ZODIAC. 

Is a booklet of but few pages, but of mighty importance. First, 
because it gives a beautiful chart in colors with a page of descriptive 
matter. With this you get a better understanding of the Zodiac 
than with any other book written, and in half the time. Then it 
gives you a horoscope sketch of a person born in each sign of the 
Zodiac. In days gone by these single sketches have been sold as 
high as a dollar and with this wonderful book you get the whole 
12 for 25c. 

Nine out of ten of the divorces are the result of improper 
marriages. 

Read this book and learn what month your married partner 
should be born in to best for you. Only 25c. 
.25c will not break you, but it may make you. 
A PHILOSOPHER'S ADVICE— THE SEERER'S MYSTERY. 

A book of anecdote and method of foretelling the future for your- 
self. By Lyman E. Stowe. 

Why This Book Is Superior to All Other Books on the Subject. 

Because it is simple and well illustrated. It gives a treatise on 
Phrenology, Astrology, Palmistry, Tea Ground Reading, Card Read- 
ing and Symbology. 

Instructions for the development of claircoyancy or the psychics. 

Psychometry — A lesson in mental and physical occult develop- 
ment, some scientific experiments illustrated. 

Deception of the five senses. How to develop health and for 
self-control. 

THE HYPNOTIST'S SECRET. 

Development as a safeguard against insanity. 

Telepathy, or the finer form of wireless telegraphy. You should 
practice this and see what you can do. 

How to become a Magnetic Healer. 

Dreams and what of them. 

Your lucky and unlucky numbers. Why? 

Amusing anecdotes of the occults. 

This wonderful book only 50c, mailed free. 
FREDERICK WHITE'S EASY LESSONS IN GEOCENTRIC 
ASTROLOGY. 

Just the thing for the beginner. No. 1, 50c; No. 2, 50c. Private 
lessons in directions, 50c. 

WHITE'S GEO-EPHEMERIES. 

As good as the English, for 25c each year. 
WHITE'S EPHEMERIES. 

Good as any; only 25c 



OUR PUBLICATIONS. Page 4 

Stowe's Astrological Blanks are a horoscope of themselves, 
lc each. 

BIBLE STORIES 

Written by C. T ousey Tayler 
A pamphlet of a few pages, 4^2 inches by 8 inches. 25c. 
Though in my estimation this contains some mistakes. It was 

not written to cover points covered in Bible Astrology, it digs up some 

very pretty points not touched in Bible Astrology. 
Bible Stories vvill be mailed free on receipt of 25c. 

What You Should Do When You Write for a Horoscope. 

Give your name and place of birth, the year, month, day of month, 
hour of day of birth, if possible. See form. 

My name is 

I was born in 

In the year of 

Month and day of month of 

The hour of day of birth : A. M P. M 

If the hour of birth is not known, give date of birth of married 
partner, if there be one. 

State what part of the body you receive hurts of any kind, or 
where sickness first attacks, or weakest part of body, or send small 
picture of yourself if you have one. (Say return if you want it re- 
turned.) 

You are entitled to 10 questions. Do not be afraid to ask rea- 
sonable questions or tell what you wish to know. 

If you call on a doctor you tell him all you can to help him, 
and he must lose his case some day. 

You call on a lawyer and he wants to know everything of your 
case — and loses as many as he gains. 

If you put a hound on the track you expect to help him all you 
can, and he will fail you sometimes. 

But a fortune teller must be a God or he is a fraud. Why? 
Because a measley class of humbugs that have been deceiving the 
world for ages, with a promissory note on a golden paved pearly 
gated heaven in the isle of misty somewhere, while they take theirs 
where they get the loudest call at the rate of so many $$$$ per. 

I don't pretend to make no mistakes. I am a scientist, and 
scientists sometimes make mistakes. 

But, WHAT IS A FORTUNE TELLER? 

Webster says a fortune teller is one who tries to peer into the 
future. VERY WELL. 

The farmer tries to peer into the future when he plants his seed. 

The merchant tries to peer into the future when he buys his 
goods for the coming season. 



OUR PUBLICATIONS Page 5 

The lawyer tries to peer into the future when he tells you he 
can win your case. 

The banker iries to peer into the future when he buys and sells 
stocks at a margin, and he has succeeded in enslaving the world to 
a bonded debt of fifty billion dollars, and if he could see into the 
future as far as a runtling calf can see he would see those debts 
have brought on this great European wholsale murder, that will end 
in a universal overthrow of his class. 

The preacher, whose teachings are so uncertain it is called theory, 
is trying to peer into the future when he promises what he cannot 
assure, yet laws are passed against the astrologer, palmist and clair- 
voyant. 

Price of a horoscope is $l-4e- $5. If you want a real good horo- 
scope, send $5. 

Vet I don't care whether you send for any or not — I am busy 
all of the time. 

The little key to astrology is simply a sheet of paper with the 
number of signs and houses and the planets in them, showing the 
effect of the planet in each sign which becomes the house in another 
sign, thus you mix the effects in signs and houses. 

I charge for my work .not for what I say, and I must 
soon stop as my age, 7 "i will not permit it longer. I 
have many testimonials similar to the following. 

1638 Annin st. Philabelphia. Pa. April 27 1915. 

Prof. Lyman E. Stowe. Dear sir the horoscope you 
cast for me, July 1912 is the best I ever had. You told 
me what would happen, and every thing came out as 
you stated in the horoscope. Ministers, Statesmen, and 
Diplomates have indorced astrology as the greatest 
science of the ages, I am a firm believer in it. Please 
publish^ this to tbe public Thomas N, Moon. 

The old 50 ct edition of What is Coming is out of 
print. The new edition is $ 1. in paper $1, 50 cts cloth' 
The new edition is better bound, better paper, and 
contains more elustrations and 100 mere pages. 

LYMAN E. STOWE, 131 Catherine St., Detroit, Mich. 




This cut and prophecies of present war published in Stowe's Books inl884 



BIBLE ASTROLOGY IS 



The most wonderful book of the age. It clears away the mist, 
and humbug, thrown around the truly great and scientific 
work, The Bible, by a class of people so blinded by their super- 
stitions they cotrfd not see a scientific truth. 

BIBLE ASTROLOGY answers many puzzling questions, 
such as the few mentioned below : 

WHAT was the Earth made of? 

WERE Adam and Eve the first people? 

WAS the Garden of Eden a place, or a period in the 
vvorld's history? 

WHAT was the forbidden fruit? 

WHERE did Cain get his wife? 

WHO were the sons of God? 

Did the sons of God take wives from the daughters of 
men? OVER 



WHY was woman blamed for the fall, and not man? 

WHO WAS CHRIST and why was he crucified? 

ARE ASTROLOGY and SPIRITUALISM true religious 
principles? 

WHO are the two witnesses who have to prophesy in 
sack cloth for times, time and a half a time, and what is that 
time? See Revelations XI — 3. 

This wonderful book of less than 200 pages, 12 mo., good 
paper, well bound in cloth, contains nearly half a hundred illus- 
trations, one in colors and a beautiful chart 20x28 inches in 
size. 

A description of the meaning of Astrology and your own 
characteristics and nature and when your married partner 
should be born. Price $1/50 




LOOK! LOOK! LOOK! 

Every man, woman and child should read "What Is Coming." 
That the author is a prophet of no mean powers is manifest in the 
illustration above, which shows he foresaw and described the flying- 



8 



machine in his great book, "Poetical L)rifts of Thought," published in 
1884, 30 years ago. 

Are we at the prophetic times spoken of in the Bible? "And 
there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a 
nation, even to that same time" — Daniel XII — 1. 

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book even 
to the time of the end, many shall run too and fro, and knowledge 
shall be increased." — Daniel XII — 4. 

LOOK at the running to and fro, and the increased knowledge. 

Remember the Bible was written by Astrologers. Daniel was 
sent to Chaldea for three years, to study clairvoyancy and astrology. 
See Daniel I — 4-5. 

The writer of the books "What Is Coming" and "Bible Astrology," 
which makes all things plain in the Bible, is an Astrologer, Lyman E. 
Stowe, of Detroit, Mich. Bible students especially and all doubters 
should read these two books. 

Now look at Nahum II — 4. "The chariots shall rage in the streets, 
they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: They shall 
seem like torches, they shall run like the lightenings." 

Describe an automobile better if you can. 

WHAT IS COMING? 

A book of nearly 500 pages and two charts 12 x 16 each. They 
make the Bible so clear a child can understand the books of Daniel 
and Revelations. 

This masterpiece of prophetic lore was first published in 1895 and 
so startled thinking people who read the book, and who sent many 
letters of thanks and congratulations to the author that he determined 
to revise and enlarge the book, which has been done. 

"WHAT IS COMING" contains a large number of illustrations. 
It is printed on good paper, well bound in Manila board, written 
by Lyman E. Stowe of Detroit, Mich. Price, $1.0 jCloth, $1,50. 

"BIBLE ASTROLOGY," 12 mo. cloth, good paper, many illus- 
trations, including a beautiful chart 20x28 inche, chases away the 
mysteries of the Bible. Piice$1.50 



Have you noticed that 95 per cent of all business men fail 
sooner or later, and that these failures come at about the same 
time in life, that is at certain ages in men's lives? 

What is the cause and what is the cure? 

Ans. — Step up to an old style piano, and speak into it, 
Vvith a heavy voice, without touching the piano, and note the 
Vibrations of the bass strings tuned in harmony with your 
Voice. Now suddenly change to a sharp voice, and note the 
sudden change from bass strings to the high notes. If your 
puny voice can affect the solid matter in those taut strings, 
What effect do you suppose the mighty heavenly bodies would 
have on vegetable and animal life when they were brought in 
direct line with earthly organism. Or if the Moon, at times, 
will raise the tides in the Bay of Fundy to 70 feet why should 
it not affect vegetable and animal life, since they are from 70 
to 90 per cent water. 

Vibration is the Keyboard of the Universe. He who un- 
derstands it will play in harmony by directing planetary vibra- 
tions. Man cannot stop planetary influence, diminish, or 
increase the power, but he can direct or shun such vibrations, 
if he learns the secret. 

It has been ascertained that certain years produce certain 
effects in every man's life according to date of birth. 



10 

Many years ago Professor Lyman E. Stowe, on noticing 
these effects, at given periods of the life of vegetable and 
animal life, also of structures, and of nations, and sought out a 
system whereby advantage might be taken of such knowledge. 

Hence his book Astrological Periodicity. On finding 
Other inferior works on the market he sought to also give to 
the public a cheap and handy method of applying the work to 
every day life, and so got out the World's Wonder Cycle 
Chart, by which you can trace your good and evil cycles, years 
and months, so man will know when to act and when to keep 
still. 

You will subdue a raging fire, and 
Quiet the floundering horse in mire; 
You'll kill the insect ere it's born. 
But cultivate the growing com. 

You know the seasons come and go, 

Some are good and some are slow; 

If you know just what is best, 

You'll push when good, when slow you'll rest. 

But, if you know not when to work, 
You'd even better duty shirk 
Than pile more fuel on the fire 
Or lash a poor horse in the mire. 

This chart — a revolving mechanical device — with instruo 
tions may be had with the great book erf books, $5. 

The chart may be used with any other book on Periodicity 
though all other books on the subject are inferior works to thi 
masterpiece Astrological Periodicity, by the world's renow 
nowned Astrologer and author, Lyman E. Stowe. 

All those who have read "Stowe's Bible Astrology," 
or "What is Coming?" a marvel of prophecy, tracing the 
American flag back to Genesis, will recognize this fact. 

Nobody can afford to be without this marvel of the 20th 
century. 

I want it distinctly understood that $ 5 is a small 
price for my great book Astrological Periodicity. See what 
Mr, Settles says. 

LYMAN E. STOWE, 131 Catherine St., Detroit, Mich. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

iNlilJU'JIN* 
022 175 920 5 



